Truth Revealed
by Sakura Ichigo Morihiko
Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with. femHarry/Bill!
1. Book 1: Chapter 1

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing!**

**~O~O~O~**

text - narrative

**~text~ **- book

"text" - speech

_text _- either thoughts or exagurations

_text_ - spells

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Umbridge was pacing in her office, wondering what she could do to stop that Potter bratlette. The girl hadn't stopped lying about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, even with all those lines 'sinking in'. Umbridge's toad-like face flushed a bright pink as she looked at the Quibbler article Rita Skeeter had written. It was obvious that the Potter bratlette and her friend, that mudblood Granger, had blackmailed that wonderful woman into writing such a horrid article. Umbridge glared at the magazine again, before tossing it into the flames of the fire burning happily in her office. She watched with a sick pleasure at the image of Dorea Potter's face being burnt into a crisp, wishing that it was the real child. Then the Ministry could claim access to the Potter account in Gringotts!

Umbridge drooled at the thought of what might be contained in those many Vaults. It was common knowledge in the wizarding world that the Potters were the absolute richest family in the wizarding world, and with all the donations the Potter bratlette received from her fans after she defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the family was all the more richer. She salivated at the thought of what the Grimoire contained, the Potters were the most secretive family when it came to their rituals. No one except their spouses and children could even enter the Vault, let alone participate in a Ritual.

Umbridge cursed as a bright flash of golden light appeared, blinking away the dots that filled her vision. There, on her desk, were 7 books. It only took Umbridge a moment to read all the titles for her to grin and do a little jig. She ran towards the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, planning on having a discussion with the Minister.

That Potter bratlette was going down!

**~O~O~O~**

Dumbledore was sitting in his office, his head in his hands. No matter what he did, it rebounded on him. In Dorea Potter's first year, he attempted tp protect the Stone, and the defences that the professors used were enough for three first years to get passed. Honestly, did they expect Dorea Potter and her friends to try and get to the Stone? Or was it that they had so much faith in Dumbledore's own protection that they decided to use the minimal protection necessary?

In her second year, the Monster of the Chamber of Secrets had been let loose on the castle. Dumbledore had suspected that it was a snake, simply because Slytherin would have absolute control over it that way, but he hadn't been able to figure it out in time. He had been suspended, Hagrid had been arrested, and poor little Ginny Weasley had been taken down into the Chamber by Tom's spirit. If it hadn't been for Dorea Potter and her friends filling in the clues, discovering where the Chamber Entrance was and what the monster was, then Ginny Weasley would ever have been found. Had Dorea Potter not slain the monster, then the school would have been permanently closed.

Then, in Dorea's third year, Sirius Black had escaped the wizard prison, Azkaban, without any outside aid. Dementors, the guards of said prison, had surrounded the school against Albus' wishes and nearly Kissed Dorea. Then it turned out that Sirius was innocent and the Potters had changed Secret Keepers without telling anyone. Dorea and Hermione had just barely managed to save both Buckbeak and Sirius from death and being Kissed, respectively. After that, Dumbledore swore that he would work the best of his abilities to protect Dorea from the TriWizard Tournament that would be taking place next year.

The following summer, there was a Death Eater sighting at the World Cup. The thought of that made Albust worry, and as such he requested that Alastor Moody take the place of DADA professor for the year. Unfortunately, the imposter had studied Alastor's behavior rigorously and managed to mimic him perfectly. That, of course, had made the Age Line that Albus created to prevent a Slytherin in Dorea's year from entering her completely useless. Dorea was forced to compete in a Tournament that nearly killed her, and to make things worse after the Third Task Cedric Diggory had been murdered by Pettigrew and Voldemort had returned.

Now, Minister Fudge refused to acknowledge that Voldemort was, indeed, back. Instead, he claimed Dorea was a lying schizophrenic and he was off his rocker. Add in the possibility that Voldemort might be accessing Dorea's mind through the blood that he stole from her, and Dumbledore was in quite the pickle. Albus sighed, and brought out a bottle of Firewhiskey. Fawkes trilled sadly, looking at Albus with disappointed eyes. Dumbledore looked back at his familiar.

"At the moment, with all the havoc that's going on, I think a glass of Firewhiskey is more than acceptable, Fawkes." he explained. Fawkes trilled again and flew over to Albus' shoulder, running his head against the elderly wizard's cheek soothingly. Albus sighed, only to jump a foot in the air as a bright golden flash illuminated the room. Dumbledore calmed as the flash faded, and Fawkes was perched on his desk, sniffing at an envelope. He reached around the phoenix and grabbed it, only to see that it was a pure white envelope with his name written on it in gold. He opened it cautiously and upon seeing that it wasn't cursed, read it quickly. His face paled as he reread it, then darted over to his fireplace. He needed to get the Order to Hogwarts, fast!

**~O~O~O~**

Dorea Potter was sitting alone in the Gryffindor Common Room when the golden flash came. She blinked in surprise, turning from her Potions essay to grab a letter that was on her Transfiguration text. It could barely even be called a letter, it was simply a folded piece of snow white parchment. She opened it, and in golden lettering there was only one sentence.

_'Tomorrow, the truth shall come out.'_

**~O~O~O~**

At 9:00 sharp the next day, Umbridge called the entirety of Hogwarts to the Great Hall. To everyone's great surprise, there was already a group of people in the Hall - people from the Ministry. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister, Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, Amos Diggory, head of the Department of Magical Creatures(beside him was his wife), Percy Weasley, the Minister's personal assistant and several Aurors - of which included Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks. Kingsley looked over at Dorea and winked, while Tonks grinned and her hair flashed bright pink. Dumbledore spared them one glance before staring at the doors. It didn't take long to figure out what he was waiting for.

The doors swept open, and the Order of the Phoenix walked in, with Remus holding Padfoot on a leash. Once the dog-version of Sirius Black saw Dorea, he started tugging on the leash, dragging his old friend over to his goddaughter. Dorea laughed when she saw Remus' exasperated face.

"Hold on, Snuffles, she isn't going anywhere!" Remus shouted as Padfoot tugged harder on the leash. The entire Weasley Clan, save Percy, burst out laughing when Padfoot jumped up on Dorea's lap and started licking her face. Dorea looked disgusted at the giant black dog, wiping some of the dog slobber off her face.

"Ew, gross! Remus, I think you need to brush Snuffles' teeth!" she announced, making Remus burst into laughter and Padfoot look sheepish. Those who didn't know who Padfoot really was raised their eyebrows at the odd behavior for a dog. Snape, on the other hand, sneered at both dogfather and goddaughter, disgusted with the way they were acting. Disgusting, spoiled Gryffindors, the lot of them. Yet Dumbledore ignored this all, instead staring at the group of 4 being lead into the Hall by McGonagall, whose lips were in a tight, white line. Dorea turned her head just in time for her to slam it onto the table, groaning.

It was the Dursleys.

Vernon Dursley was in the front, glaring at everyone in sight. Of course he was, they were all magical, while he was 'normal'. Petunia Dursley, his wife, was walking less than a step behind him, her eyes darting wildly back and forth nervously. She was clenching the hand of her sister-in-law, Marge Dursley. Equally obese to her brother, the woman was hideous enough to shatter a mirror without even looking in it. Behind the women was the youngest and Dorea's cousin, Dudley Dursley. The reason he was bringing up the rear was simple - he was far too large for anyone to walk next to him. People stared at the group in disgust, mainly consisting of Bill, Charlie, Ginny and Molly Weasley. Many older Slytherins were pointing out the four muggles to the younger years. There were whispers going around, whispers about what was happening. Dorea faintly heard the bets going around, that Umbridge had finally snapped, that Dumbledore had finally lost control, almost everything was being bet on - Seamus Finnegan bet that they were about to find out about Dorea Potter's life at Hogwarts.

Yet the groups of people entering the Hall was not over.

Next, Professor Flitwick was leading another group of muggles into the Hall - all of them appearing to be about Dorea's age. It was a group of five - the first one was a girl, she was tall, blonde, and pale with green eyes that slowly turned brown around the pupil. Her name was Michaela Dupont, and she had moved to England from France when she was 5 years old. Next to her was a boy, about the same height, with blue-grey eyes and also blonde. His name was Dan Schmidt, and his parents had moved to England during the first Voldemort War. Behind Michaela was a strawberry blonde girl, of equal height to Michaela but with a dancer's body. Her eyes were blue with seafoam green petaling throughout them. Her name was Sierra Hill. Next to Sierra was a girl with bright red hair, who was slightly dumpier than either Sierra or Michaela. Her eyes were big and brown, and her name was Catherine Jackson, but she prefered to go by Cat. Finally, beside Catherine was a short boy with blonde hair and blonde highlights. His face was sprinkled with freckles, and he was smiling brightly at the other 4. His name was Dante Cooper. These five were dressed rather differently - Michaela was in a black and red muggle tunic with black ripped skinny jeans and leather boots, Dan was in a grey sweatshirt with blue jeans and trainers on, Sierra was in a hot pink t-shirt and grey sweatpants, Cat was wearing an open green button up with a white tank top underneath, blue jeans, and a black and white bandana-style scarf around her neck, and Dante was wearing a dark grey and red sweater with red skinny jeans and trainers on. Dora and Dudley's eyes widened as they looked at the five - both had gone to primary with them. Michaela looked around the room, and when her eyes fell on Dorea she smiled and winked. Ron leaned over to Dorea and whispered to her.

"Do you know them?" he asked. Dorea nodded, a faint smile on her lips.

"Yeah," she whispered back. "They were the only muggles to ever be nice somewhat-friends back in primary. The misfit gang." she said, and it was somewhat true. Michaela was the silent one in the group, but if you were to hurt one of her friends(or, in Dorea's case, somewhat-friends). She was a bookworm and loved to help people, but was really shy and didn't like to bring attention to herself. Dan was the gamer, even in primary he was always talking about the latest game for handhelds or the Nintendo 64. Sierra was the dancer of the group, she had been in Irish Dancing and gymnastics since she was 3. Cat was somewhat of the glue, she was the one who could settle almost all arguments and was able to make friends with almost anyone. Dante was the outspoken one, he was honest, gentle, but spoke his opinion loud and proud for everyone to hear. Michaela had been the one to introduce Dorea to the group, she had always felt drawn to the loners and woul befriend them. Personally, Michaela was Dorea's favourite.

"Hehem." Umbridge cleared her throat. Michaela took one look at her before speaking.

"God, who's the toad?" she asked, unknowingly being very loud. The Hall burst into laughter, even the Slytherins couldn't hold back as they laughed at the girl's statement. Dorea was in hysterics, that was exactly her thoughts when she first saw Umbridge! Said toad was blushing an awful shade of pink, her lips pursed. Michaela felt her face burn, she knew she was blushing. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" she asked Sierra, who was also laughing at her friend. Sierra nodded, still laughing. Umbridge cleared her throat again, the laughing turning into giggles.

"As I was about to say, may we please get some chairs for these," she sneered. "_Guests_ may sit down?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded, and with a wave of his wand there were several couches - one was large and round, the other was more of a settee. The Dursleys took the one that was shaped like a settee, while the Order, Dorea's gang, and the 'misfit gang' took the round couch. By chance, Dorea and Michaela were sitting next to each other. Michaela grinned at her somewhat-friend.

"Haven't seen you in a long time." she said, hugging the ravenette. Dorea returned the hug, a grin on her face.

"Haven't exactly had time over the summer to go and visit you, ya know." she said. Michaela grinned.

"Well, I knew your pig of a cousin," Dorea snorted. "Was lying about your school! He said you went to some Saint Brute's place, when you're actually a witch and are going to a school for magic!" she said. Upon seeing Dorea's questioning face, she explained. "That Flit-guy explained magic to us on the way here." she said. Dorea nodded, her mouth forming a perfect 'O'. She couldn't help but feel a little entertained by Michaela's horrible memory when it came to names. Umbridge cleared her throat one last time before she started explaining.

"Hehem, now that we're all settled, last night I received the most interesting gift - from the future." she said. The whispers grew. "I was sent 7 books about a certain student's life at this school," Dorea groaned and Seamus Finnegan started to receive his winnings for the bet. "Yes, they are about you, Ms. Potter. Why your friends and family," Dorea and Umbridge both sneered. Dorea at the thought that the Dursleys were family, Umbridge at the muggles and blood-traitors. "Are her I have no idea, but we will being reading this instant!" she demanded. Another voice cleared its throat from behind her, making the toad-like woman spin around to face it. There were three people wearing long, black cloaks that hid their faces. The clasp that held those cloaks in place were decorated with the Potter Crest. The tallest of the three stepped forwards, looking out at the group from the shadows covering his/her face. He/she spoke.

"I see you are about to read the books we sent." the voice, a very masculine voice, said. It was a fair assumption that the speaker was male. "Before you read, however, there are several others that deserve to be here. Unfortunately, at present moment those people are deceased and have moved on." Eyes widened at the mention. Did this guy mean Cedric could come back for the reading? The shortest cloaked figure moved forwards, and opened his/her mouth to speak.

"Fortunately, as it is in our family Grimoire," Umbridge's toad-like eyes gained a greedy glint as she looked at the Potter Crest clasps holding their cloaks closed. She _really_ wanted to get her hands on the Potter Grimoire now! Dorea noted that this figure's voice was very feminine and almost soprano in pitch. This speaker was a girl. "We are able to summon them, as corporeal beings, to this realm for the readings. Once the books are finished, however, they will return to the next realm, where we are to summon them from." she said. Dorea's eyes widened. Did that mean her parents...? Cedric...? The final, mid-sized figure stepped forwards.

"You will be able to touch them and converse with them as if they are human. They will retain the magical abilities that they have always had, but there are some limitations. They will not be able to transform, if they were Animagi. They will not have to eat. They will not have to sleep. They will not be able to leave the castle grounds." the voice, also masculine, said. The entire all was silent, all eyes and ears focused solely on the two men and woman standing before them. All three figures brought out their wands and stood in a triangle. The two shorter figures nodded at the tallest, and the three began to chant in a strange language that no one in the room understood.

"_Acover siutrom eracover sotcnutef. Aroproc aus sitnem euqimina subiriv. Muraitnetop erenamer, atnemidepmi tnuuqniler. Cis taif, cis taif!" ("Revoca mortuis revocare defunctos. Corpora sua mentis animique viribus. Potentiarum remanere, impedimenta relinquunt. Sic fiat, sic fiat!" _reversed words, means _"Bring back the dead, bring back the deceased. Bodies of their own, minds and souls secure. Powers remain, hindrances leave. So mote it said, so mote it be!") _the three chanted. A silver triangle formed, the three of them standing at each point._ "Muirt iv iv Inilrem iv, Annagrom iv, iv Llerevep tu tiaf sutcefrep, cis taif_!" ("_Trium vi vi Merlini, Morganna vi, vi Peverell ut fiat perfectus, sic fiat!" _reversed words, meaning_ "By the Power of Three, by the Power of Merlin, by the Power of Morganna, by the Power of Peverell, so mote it done, so mote it be!_") Ruins, long lost to the sands of time, formed in the triangle. Each of the three brought out either a vial or a hair, the shorter two bringing out two each. The tallest, holding a hair, dropped it into the triangle. The shortest, with two vials of blood, dropped one drop of blood from each into the triangle. The mid-sized one dropped one hair and one drop of blood into the triangle. "_TAIF CIS_!" (reversed for "_SIC FIAT_!", which means "_SO MOTE IT BE_!") they screamed. A blast of magic moved the the Hall, acting as a powerful shockwave and forcing everything a foot from the triangle. Dorea couldn't take her eyes off of the triangle. From the hairs or drops of blood blobs started to take form. Those blobs turned into humanoid shapes, before refining. Only one of the five was female. The faces started to form as hair shot out of their skulls, clothing appearing to cover their nude bodies. Once the faces took shape, colour started to form. Three were redheads, one had bronze hair, and the last had raven black hair. The people, which had now formed, started to blink and look around. Jaws dropped as they realized who they were staring at, people started to cry at the sight of loved ones returning.

Lily and James Potter, Cedric Diggory, and Fabian and Gideon Prewett had returned from the dead.

Amos and his wife, Jessica, Diggory sobbed at the sight of their late son. Molly Weasley dry sobbed at the sight of her dead twin brothers, while Arthur, Bill, and Charlie, who all remembered the pair, sat shell shocked. Dorea Potter, however, stared at her parents and couldn't believe her eyes.

"Mum...? Dad...?" she whispered, her emerald eyes stinging with tears. Lily and James stared at each other, then the three figures, and then their daughter in shock. Remus, who was sitting near Dorea, and Padfoot, who was at Dorea's feet, couldn't move, their jaws dropped at the sight of their long dead friends alive and well. Lily smiled at Dorea, who rocketed out of her seat and tackled them into a hug. Neither adult could make out what their daughter was saying, they could only hold and comfort her as sobs racked her chest. James smiled, and ran his fingers through Dorea's hair.

"I'm so proud of you, Bambi." he said. Dorea looked up at her father, tears rolling down her face.

"B-Bambi?" she said, wiping away tears. Lily sighed, shaking her head.

"He saw the movie when I was still pregnant with you, and since he's a stag, he found it appropriate " she explained. Dorea started to giggle, smiling at her parents. It was almost surreal, being able to talk to them and hold them after all these years. Was it only 3-4 months ago that she saw them in the graveyard, telling her to run while they held Voldemort back? The moment was ruined when the tallest figure cleared his throat.

"As much as I hate to ruin such a happy reunion, I think it would be best to tell you that two more people will be coming. I'm assuming that they'll be here by about the third or fourth chapter of the first book, but a heads up would probably be liked." he said. Dorea nodded, and lead her parents back to the couch. Cedric was sitting with his parents, while the Prewitts were sitting on either side of Molly and Arthur. The figures waved good-bye, and disappeared in a golden flash. Umbridge, Dumbledore, and Dorea recognized the flash from the different items each received. Umbridge cleared her throat one more time and held up the first book.

**~Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone~** she read. Dorea groaned, suddenly remembering all the rule breaking she had done the past few years. No one noticed that Snape was staring at Lily with mournful eyes as she hugged Dorea with James' arm wrapped around both his girls. Michaela grinned at the sight, after Dorea's childhood she deserved happiness. Petunia Dursley was looking at her sister with horror. After how she had treated Dorea for the past 14 years, she wouldn't be surprised if she had been turned into a toad by the end of the second chapter. Vernon and Marge Dursley were both glaring at anyone in sight, especially Dorea and her parents. Dudley Dursley was attempting to hide in the settee he was sitting on, horribly failing. Lily and James shared a look, while Michaela perked up.

"The Philosopher's Stone, isn't that a mythological stone that Nicholas Flamel made? It produced..." she narrowed her eyes in concentration. "The Elixir of Life and turned any metal into gold, correct?" she asked. Dorea looked at Hermione.

"Totally safe to ask your parents, she's a muggle and she knows who Flamel is!" she said. Michaela flushed.

"Actually, my gran was an elf." she muttered. Dorea and James looked oddly at Michaela, finally realizing why she was here. She had magical creature blood running through her veins.

**~Chapter One - The-Girl-Who-Lived~** Umbridge read. Dante blinked.

"Who's that?" he asked. Dorea jumped over and hugged him.

"FINALLY!" she screamed, then hopped back over to her seat. She ignored the laughter that the Weasley boys were letting out.

**~Mr and Mrs Dursley~**

Both mentioned paled at the fact that they were part of the books. Uh oh. This wouldn't be good.

**~of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.~**

"Any you're very welcome." Sierra said, smiling cheekily at the Dursley family. Marge fumed, that stick-like girl had no right to speak to them!

**~They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they didn't hold with such nonsense.~**

Fred, George, Fabian and Gideon all gasped in horror.

"N-Nothing strange or mysterious?" Fabien asked.

"That's... That's..." Fred stammered.

"JUST HORRIBLE!" George and Gideon shouted. Molly's eyes widened at the similarities between her twin brothers and her twin sons. It was rather spooky, actually.

**~Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.~**

"What're drills?" asked a Slytherin first year, who was instantly hushed by one of the higher years. James answered.

"They're a muggle machine that makes holes in objects for construction purposes What I want to know," he turned to Vernon Dursley. "Is what kind of name is Grunnings." Vernon sneered.

"What kind of name is Hogwarts?" he replied. Dorea answered.

"One that has the first initial of each of the Founders' names in it. H-O-G-W-A-R-T-S - H is for Hufflepuff, G is for Gryffindor, R is for Ravenclaw, and S is for Slytherin. The remaining letters are O-W-A-T, which, if pronounced, sound like 'Oh what'. So, I guess you could say the name of the school means 'Oh what, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.'" she explained. Everyone stopped the think about it for a moment, and Flitwick beamed as he noticed that Dorea was right.

"20 points to Gryffindor for that thoughtful explanation." he said. Snape sneered at the 5th year girl. _The dunce of a student just simply got lucky, is all. She wasn't smart in the slightest, she wasn't like Lily..._

**~He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.~**

Everyone paused and looked over at Vernon Dursley, who fit the description to a T. Only thing lacking was that he was as wide as he was tall.

**~Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde, and had nearly twice the normal amount of neck,~**

"TO MAKE UP FOR HER HUSBAND!" James shouted, making most of the Hall burst into laughter. Vernon and Petunia flushed at their descriptions, while Marge calmed them down easily.

"They're all freaks, they have to sense of what's truly attractive traits." she whispered, not truly believing her words. Even in the normal world, many of the people sitting in that circle were very attractive.

**~Which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over the garden fences, spying on the neighbors.~**

Lily grimaced.

"She still does that?" she groaned. Dorea patter her mother on the shoulder, sending her a sad smile. Good to know she wasn't the only one with that opinion.

**~The Dursleys had a small son~**

Everyone gawked at Dudley. _Small_? He was the size of a baby Orca whale!

**~Called Dudley, and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.~**

Dorea, Michaela, Dan, Sierra, Cat, and Dante all snorted at the thought of Dudley being a 'fine boy'. The whale was a bullying git, that's what he was!

**~The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it.~**

"Is Mr. Dursley a closet case?" Dante asked innocently. Michaela grinned.

"Nah, he's a dealer in disguise!" she said, and turned to Vernon, who was a peculiar shade of puce. "Know where I can find a supplier?" she asked, grinning. Dorea giggled at her somewhat-friend, the other four of the 'misfit gang' laughing at her comment. Cat calmed first.

"Now now, don't make fun of the whale - I mean man!" she said, chuckling. Dante leaned over Ginny in order to high-five Cat.

**~They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.~**

"What's wrong with the Potters?" McGonagall huffed, glaring at Umbridge. "Besides their inherited insanity." she added, before Remus could answer. Said werewolf grinned while Ron and Hermione turned to Dorea.

"_WE TOLD YOU_!" they said. Dorea pouted.

"I still stand by my claim - _I AM NOT INSANE_!" she screamed. James grinned, while Bill answered.

"Sweety, all Potters are slightly insane. Trust me, I remember some of the things you did as a baby." he shuddered, looking at Ron. "Let's just say that Ron was never too fond of you as a baby. Neither was your cat." he said, a thoughtful look on his face. Lily scowled at the memory.

"I remember when you shoved Whiskers' tail down Ron's diaper," she said, ignoring the roaring laughter that sounded at the mention. "And when you accidentally magicked the contents of Ron's diapers on his head." Ron stared at Dorea in disgust. Bill grinned.

"Yeah, didn't she do that because he peed on me while I was changing him?" he asked. Lily nodded, while Dorea looked over at Bill.

"How do you remember this?" she asked Bill shrugged.

"When mum was pregnant with Ginny I was 10, and her pregnancy was tough. We were at your mum and dad's house more often than not." he said simply, then grinned. "I was your favourite Weasley, though." he said, and winked at Dorea. Said girl stuck her tongue out at Bill.

"I must have really been insane, then." she retorted. Charlie laughed at the look on Bill's face.

**~Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,~**

"Poor you, Lily." Mrs. Weasley said, eying the Dursleys.

**~But they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,~**

"That's really sad," Luna Lovegood, who was sitting across from Ginny, said. "To pretend you don't have a sibling because you fear what makes them different from you." Her tone was dreamy, her eyes had their faraway look. Lily glared at Petunia.

"I pretend I don't have a sister because of how horrible she was to me when I was attending Hogwarts." she spat out. Petunia winced at the mention of her past actions.

**~Because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband~**

"JAMES IS NOT A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING!" Remus and Lily shouted, standing up in order to glare at Petunia and Vernon. Padfoot growled at the married muggles, while Snape sneered.

_I beg to differ._ he thought, not knowing a certain toad shared his thoughts.

**~Were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.~**

"That's not a word." several Ravenclaws(and Hermione) huffed, glaring at the book. Improper English, that was!

**~The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.~**

"Probably something along to line of 'How is it that, that handsome devil and gorgeous redhead are related to the horse and whale?'" James said, glaring at the Dursleys. They had never done anything to the couple, and yet they were treated with such hatred for no reason? He couldn't help but think of them as muggle supremacists the exact opposite opinion of the pureblood supremacists.

**~The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small daughter, too, but they had never seen her.~**

"For a good reason!" Lily said, hugging her daughter. She had watched over her daughter from Heaven, and knew exactly how Petunia had treated her daughter. She could never forgive her sister for her actions.

**~This girl was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.~**

"A child like what, exactly?" Molly growled out, glaring at the couple. She was beginning to believe that her sons hadn't been exaggerating when they claimed there were bars on Dorea's window. Surprisingly, James answered.

"A magical child." he said, his tone icy. He clung to Dorea like it would save his life.

**~When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work~**

"Who picks-"

"-Their most-"

"-Boring tie-"

"-For work?"

"If I were him-"

"-I would pick my-"

"-Most interesting tie-"

"Just because-"

"-It's interesting!"

"Misters Weasley!" McGonagall shouted. The twins looked affronted.

"IT WASN'T US!" they shouted. McGonagall looked apologetic

"Sorry. Misters Prewitt!" Now the Prewitt twins had their chance to look affronted.

"What did we do?" Now McGonagall was confused

"If it wasn't you, then who..." she asked, looking at the circle. The Golden Trio was ginning.

"I think you'll find-" Ron started.

"-That we call this-" Hermione continued.

"-Trio speech!" Dorea finished. The Prewitt Twins and Weasley Twins were staring at them with wide open mouths. Ron turned to Hermione.

"_Told_ _you_ this was fun." he said. Hermione grinned and nodded, agreeing with Ron.

"This really _is_ fun!" she announced. Umbridge cleared her throat in annoyance and continued reading.

**~and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screamed Dudley into his high chair.~**

"Oh, what a wonderful introduction for him!" Lily said sarcastically, glaring at her nephew. She hadn't forgiven him for his actions again Dorea, either.

**~None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.~**

"Blind much?" Draco Malfoy asked from the Slytherin table. To his astonishment, most of the Hall agreed with him.

**~At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecking Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.~**

"That's horrible!" Professor Sprout gasped, staring at the Dursleys in horror.

**~"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house.~**

"YOU _ENCOURAGE_ THAT BEHAVIOR?!"

The Dursleys glared at Sprout, who was staring at the lot of them, disgusted.

**~He got into his car and back out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.~**

"Minnie!" James sang out, while the Gryffindors were having a betting pool on who or what that cat was. Seamus Finnegan bet that it was McGonagall. Said professor scowled at James.

"I'll let you know that I hate that nickname." she said. Seamus gave her a strange gaze..

"Come one, professor, honestly, is it you?" he asked. McGonagall gave him a glare.

"That information is not important." she said. Dean spoke up.

"Of course it it!" he insisted. McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" she asked. Dean and Seamus shared sheepish looks.

"There's a betting pool..." they said. McGonagall facepalmed, while Snape smirked at the Head Lion.

"Looks like Gryffindor is the House of Gambling, not Bravery." he remarked. Next thing he knew that his hair had turned into a lion's mane, and Lily was smirking at her once-friend.

"You were saying, Snivellous?" she asked. Dorea looked at her mother for the nickname. Lily smiled at her ravenette daughter. "Your father and his friends made it up when they were still arrogant prats." she explained, giving James a kiss on the cheek. Snape looked at the scene, heartbroken and disgusted.

**~For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.~**

"Idiot."

"MISTER ZABINI!"

"Well he _is_!"

"Yes, we all know, just don't say it!" At that comment, all the students stared at McGonagall in shock. Umbridge glared at the Head Lion and continued reading.

**~Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.~**

"Are you sure it isn't you, professor?"

"I refuse to acknowledge that statement, Mister Finnegan."

**~As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the at in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, it was looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he though of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.~**

"Sweet Merlin, talk about an exciting life!" Fabien said sarcastically. Ron, Hermione, and Dorea all shared looks. Oh, just wait until it got into their adventures.

**~But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usualy morning traffic, he coulnd't help but notice that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about.~**

"Strangely dressed?" Charlie mouthed to Ron. He looked at Dorea, the question written across his face. Dorea grinned, and nodded. Ron then nodded at Charlie, who chuckled at the thought. Oh, this would be interesting.

**~People dressed in cloaks.~**

"What's so strange about cloaks?" Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw asked. Lily answered.

"Muggles haven't worn cloaks in hundreds of years, if you exclude Renaissance carnivals." she explained. The Purebloods didn't really seem to understand what was so strange about cloaks, but then again, most of them didn't wear muggle clothing at all.

**~Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people!~**

Michaela suddenly looked insulted at the mention of getups. She could see Marge Dursley eying her clothing with distaste She looked at the woman, and held up her skull necklace. She pulled a small blade from its mouth, a sadistic grin on her face. Marge glared icily at Michaela, who stuck her tongue out and put the blade back in the necklace and turned her attention back to the book.

**~He supposed this was some stupid new fashion.~**

"Stupid?" Fudge asked, staring at Vernon. The man's face was bright purple, the vein on his forehead throbbing. Dorea winced slightly at the danger signs.

**~He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite excitedly together.~**

"Something big must have - oh." James said, realising what day it was. He and Lily had just been killed, leaving Dorea an orphan.

**~Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak!~**

McGonagall looked over to Dumbledore, then remembered where he had been that day. She then turned to look at Flitwick.

**~The nerve of him!~**

"Yeah, what nerve!" George huffed.

"Wearing emerald-green." Gideon huffed too. Fabien picked up on what they were doing.

"It's not an easy colour to wear!" he huffed as well. Fred grinned then continued what his brother and uncles were thinking.

"Only a few people can wear it - like McGonagall and Dorea!" he said brightly. All four grinned at each other and started speaking.

**~But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... Yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.~**

"Well, no one can say he isn't focused." Lily smirked.

**~Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.~**

"Wait, what happened to the charms to hide the owls from muggles?" Percy asked Amos, who flushed.

"There were so many owls the spell was overpowered, meaning that the muggles could see them." he said, then noticed the curious stares from both Purebloods and muggleborns alike. "Muggles usually only see the wild owls, which are purely nocturnal and are rarely seen by muggles. In order to keep a muggle from stealing wizarding mail, there's a charm on owls to prevent those without magic or relatives with magic from seeing them." he explained. Both groups seemed pleased with the explanations, then turned back to the book.

**~Most of them had never seen an owl, even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.~**

"Oh, how delightful! He sounds exactly like Cousin Walburga!" James groaned, recalling his cousin, and mother of Sirius and Regulus. Dorea's nose crinkled at the mention of Sirius' mother - nasty portrait, that one was. "I was so glad when he kicked the bucket." he grinned at the memory. Padfoot barked, wagging his tail. Lily leaned down to whisper in Dorea's ear.

"Why's Sirius in Padfoot form?" she asked. Dorea looked at her.

"You never told Remus about the switch." she said simply. Lily's eyes went wide with the mention, realizing exactly what had happened to Sirius while Dorea was being raised by Petunia. Once Dorea started Hogwarts she had stopped watching over Dorea more, instead focusing on others. James, on the other hand, had been watching over Dorea and his friends equally. He must have known what happened to Sirius.

**~He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk~**

Dorea gasped, clasping the skin over her heart.

**~across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.~**

"Oh, that makes sense." Dorea nodded. Lily's face paled.

"Only one?" she asked. Dorea's jaw dropped, her eyes wide at the realization. Vernon Dursley had only bought on bun from the bakery. She grabbed her mother's arm.

"He-He probably bought more than just a bun, though... Right? Right?" Dorea asked, pale and somewhat shaky. Lily nodded, clinging to her daughter as well.

**~He'd forgotten all about the people in the cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.**

**This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collection tin. It was on his way past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag,~**

Dorea and Lily both sighed in relief.

**~that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I've heard-"**

**"-Yes, their daughter, Dorea-"~**

Eyes widened in realization as to what day it was. McGonagall bowed her head, remembering the horror she felt upon hearing that Lily and James, two Unspeakables for the Ministry, were killed in one night by Voldemort.

**~Mr. Dursley stopped dead.~**

"And died of a heart attack from the exercise he had gotten from the walk so far." James said as if it were straight from the book.

**~Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him,~**

"How polite!" Bill said.

"Charming!" Charlie replied. Dorea couldn't help but join into the fun.

"So kind!" she remarked. Both Weasleys smiled at her, though Bill winked as well. Dorea couldn't help but giggle, and both sets of parents sent each other knowing looks. Should they tell them? Maybe later...

**~seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustached, thinking... No, he was being stupid.~**

"LIKE HE NORMALLY IS!" Dorea shouted. Umbridge sent a Stinging Hex to the girl, and Lily blocked in.

"Respect your elders!" she demanded. Lily, Dorea, and James all replied the exact same way.

"_HIM_? _NEVER_!"

**~Potter wasn't such an unusual name.~**

"In the wizarding world, there's only one Potter family, and we're the richest in the world." James said. Lily snorted.

"Yeah, but only because you Potters only marry your Soulmate." she said. Dorea looked up at her mother, blinking.

"Soulmate?" she asked. Lily looked at her confused.

"Didn't you get the Potter Family Grimoire?" she asked. Dorea shook her head, and Lily looked at Dumbledore, who looked at Snape.

"Severus, didn't you give it to Dorea when you met her in Diagon Alley?" he asked. Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"Professor Dumbledore, I never _met_ him in Diagon Alley." she said. Dumbledore's eyes widened in realization, and he glared at Severus Snape, who shrunk under the four gazes of Dumbledore, Lily Potter, James Potter, and Dorea Potter.

"Where is it, Snivellous?" Lily demanded, her voice icy. Snape glared at the Potter family.

"And why should I tell you that?" he asked. James' eyes narrowed, and he stood.

"Dorea, I want you to repeat after me..." he said, and whispered in Dorea's ear. Dorea nodded, and stood, glaring at Snape.

"I, Dorea Lillian Violetta Potter, last of the Potters and Lady Potter, declare Blood Feud against the Family of Snape for Theft of Magicks and purposely Withholding Family Heirlooms without the intention of return. So Mote it said, so Mote it be!" she announced. All Purebloods and Halfbloods that understood what Dorea had just done gasped in horror, and those that didn't understand had it explained to them.

To declare a Blood Feud against another House or Family was a way of conveying that the opposing House or Family had committed the highest crimes against the declaring House or Family. Any insults or harmful actions are seen as an act of war, and as such any retaliation is seen as acceptable - including death.

Dorea blinked as the Potter Family Signet Ring appeared on her right ring finger. That was unexpected. Ron gasped at the sight.

"You're now officially Lady Potter! Usually that only happens when a wizard or witch comes of age - you're now officially an adult in the eyes of Magic, and as such, are an adult!" he shouted. Eyes widened as they stared at Dorea. "That means you can perform magic outside of school!" Ron stared enviously at Dorea's ring. James grinned and gave his daughter a one armed hug. He whispered more instructions in her ear, and Dorea thanked him quietly. She pressed on the ring, earning a faint golden glow.

"Potter Family Grimoire!" she demanded. There was a flash of golden light, and a giant, leather tome was in her hand. Dorea's eyes widened as she looked at it. On the front was the Potter Family Crest, which was a golden phoenix flying over a rampant gold lion on a field of crimson, a white triangle with a circle and line going through it in the background. Below the crest was the Family Motto.

"Pugnare ut Protege, Pugnare pro Familia, Pugnare pro Lustitia - it means Fight to Protect, Fight for Family, Fight for Justice." James explained. He pointed to a small, gold triangle on the leather. "Place a drop of blood there, and you and your Soulmate will be able to open this." he explained. Dorea smiled up at her father, then realization hit her and she groaned.

"This means you have to teach me politics!" she mourned, sitting back down. James' face resembled that of someone who just watched their pet dog eat its own feces. He then fell to his knees, lifted his palms to the ceiling, and let out a mournful cry. Lily swatted him over the head with the Family Grimoire.

"Oh, stop being dramatic!" she demanded. James and Dorea both stopped and looked at her.

"IT'S POLITICS!" they shouted. Lily waved her hand towards them.

"Yeah, politics suck, but it could be worse. We could have to have 'The Talk' with Rea." she said. All three gave looks of equal disgust, and Dorea raised her hands above her head.

"I'm glad I got that talk at the end of first year from Madam Pomfrey. At least she's a Mediwitch, she made it less awkward by using medical terms." she announced. Everyone gawked at her.

"Lucky! You don't realize how awkward it is for you father or mother to sit you down and have that talk!" Remus said, staring at Dorea with jealous eyes. Umbridge cut in, glaring at everyone.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to continue reading." she said. Everyone sat down, glaring at the toad woman. Stupid Pink Toad...

**~He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a daughter named... Oh, alright, not Dorea, but perhaps he had heard wrong. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure what his niece's name was. He'd never seen the girl. It might've been Dorothy. Or Destiny.~**

"Ew. Dorothy Potter, Destiny Potter? No thanks, Dorea Potter has a nice right to it." Bill said, wrinkling his nose. Dorea smiled at him, and flushed slightly when he winked at her. Ron raised his eyebrow at the action, and chuckled when Dorea sent him a glare. Yeah, he knew Dorea had the hots for Bill. He found it slightly disturbing, but less than he thought it would have been if it was any of his other brothers.

**~But all the same, those people in cloaks...~**

"Are incredibly fashionable."

"James, be serious for once."

"I'm not Sirius, Sirius is Sirius!"

"James, that joke got old after first year!"

"Not you too, Rem!"

**~There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...~**

"No, your sister is just identical to you in every way - except her mustache isn't nearly as bushy." Dorea commented. Vernon's temper broke.

"NOW LISTEN HERE!" he screamed. He didn't seem to realize that he was about to make a fool of himself in front of many 'freaks'. "WE'VE PUT CLOTHES ON YOU BACK, A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, AND FED YOU OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF OUR HEARTS-" That comment drove Dorea over the edge.

"THE CLOTHES WERE DUDLEY'S HAND-ME-DOWNS, SO I WAS FORCED T BUY MY OWN CLOTHING WITH MY OWN INHERITANCE MONEY! THAT SAME ROOF WAS ONLY STANDING BECAUSE OF THE MAGICAL PROTECTION THAT MY MOTHER GAVE ME, OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY DEATH EATERS TRYING TO HUNT ME DOWN! FED ME?! FED ME WHAT, THE TABLE SCRAPS THAT YOU AND THAT WHALE YOU CALL A SON DIDN'T EAT?! GOODNESS OF YOUR HEARTS?! YOU ARE THE MUGGLE VERSION OF DEATH EATERS - THINKING THAT YOU AND YOUR KIND ARE THE GREATEST THERE IS! YOU HAVE NO HEARTS, AND IF YOU DID, IT'S PROBABLY TOO BUSY WORKING ITSELF TO DEATH PUMPING BLOOD THROUGH YOUR UNGRACIOUS BODY TO EVEN THINK ABOUT CARING! ALL OF YOU ARE VILE, DISGUSTING, AND SICK, TWISTED BASTARDS THAT DON'T' EVEN DESERVE TO LIVE!" Dorea screamed right back at her uncle, fingering her wand. James looked at Lily.

"She's got your temper." he said. Hermione shuddered.

"She can get worse." she said. Those who hadn't seen her temper looked at her in disbelief. "When she gets all quiet, and whispers everything instead of shouting it... She's absolutely terrifying." Hermione shuddered violently. Dante was sitting next to her, and he placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. "Her voice gets icy and raspy... It's like she's Death, speaking to us in the flesh..." Hermione's face twisted into a horrified version of itself as she remembered exactly how Dorea sounded when she got like that. Remus gave James a look.

"She got that from you." he said simply. James glared at Remus.

"I got that from my dad, thank you very much. It's a Potter trait." he said proudly. Dorea was forced back into her seat by Lily, as Vernon was by both Marge and Petunia, each flushed at the glares they were receiving, as well as the snickers directed at Vernon for being shown up by a 15 year old girl.

Umbridge decided now was a good time to continue.

**~He found it a lot harder to concentrate on~**

"His diet?" Arthur murmured, glaring at Vernon from what Dorea said. Molly's face paled as she remembered Ron's insisting that the Dursleys starved Dorea - _was it really true_? Had she _ignored_ it? She just simply thought Dorea didn't always eat enough at home...

**~drills that afternoon,~**

"Oh." Arthur said, disappointed. Fabian and Gideon snickered at the look on Arthur's face. He was so disappointed that he wasn't right.

**~and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry,"~**

"_HE KNOWS THE WORD_?!" Dorea shouted, shooting out of her seat. She all but flew over to the book, reading that line over and over. She needed to burn it into her mind, she didn't believe a word of it. Vernon Dursley knew how to say sorry. It was like a nice Voldemort or a sadistic Dumbledore, it was just impossible to think of. Umbridge glared at Dorea as she slowly made her way back to her parents in a daze. Michaela snickered at the look on her somewhat-friend's face, she looked as if she had just seen Heaven and Hell at once.

**~he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak~**

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at Flitwick, who flushed. Lily looked at her old professor oddly.

"Violet? Really, Professor Flitwick?" she asked. Flitwick's face flushed even more, instead of a pale pink his face resembled Sierra's shirt.

**~He didn't seem upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice~**

"MY VOICE IS NOT SQUEAKY!" Flitwick squeaked out, before covering his face with his hands. Lily and Hermione gawked at the Charms Master, while most of the Hall laughed. It took a few minutes before Umbridge could continue reading.

**~that made passerby stare.**

**"Don't be sorry, my dear, sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-KNow-Who is gone at last!~**

Flitwick looked down, ashamed.

"It only seemed to hit me at midnight that You-Know-Who may have been gone, but Lily and James were too." he whispered, but it wasn't really heard over Umbridge's shout of:

"AND HE'S GONE FOR GOOD!"

**~Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"~**

"Yes, you should be celebrating. Had Voldemort," Most of the Hall flinched. "Not been defeated the night prior, he would have then destroyed the muggle world one country at a time." Dumbledore said gravely. Fudge looked at Dumbledore in shock.

"Surely you could have stopped him!" he declared, thinking of the battles that Dumbledore won against Voldemort in the past. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Voldemort had not yet reached the peak of his power, I was well past that peak and starting to weaken. I doubt that he is even at his strongest yet." Dumbledore said. Fudge ignored the last statement and instead focused on the first on. Voldemort had not yet been his strongest when Dorea Potter defeated him. The Potter Heire- er, Lady Potter now, had done the world a great favour the day she trumped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Cat raised her hand.

"Uh, who's You-Know-Who?" she asked. Michaela, Dan, Sierra, and Dante all nodded in agreement with the question. Charlie took them to the side and started to quietly explain the history of Voldemort. Umbridge patiently waited until all 6 sat down, seeing as how knowing who He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was likely to be very important to the books. She continued.

**~And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.~**

"YOUR ARMS FIT?" Dorea and Hermione screamed. Flitwick chuckled.

"No, I barely hugged half of him." he explained. The two Gryffindors nodded, happy with that statement. Vernon, on the other hand, flushed. It was because he was incredibly tiny... It was because he was incredibly tiny... At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

**~Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he bad been called a Muggle, whatever that was.~**

"Non-magical person, also called mundane in several other cultures." Dorea said, then blinked. "_How_ did I _know that_?" she asked James. He smiled.

"The Potter Family Signet Ring has over 1500 years of knowledge within it. When you wear that ring, you gain that knowledge. Though it doesn't typically work for politics." James explained, then pouted at the thought of politics. Dorea sighed, just her luck. Oh well, she was probably gonna know a ton more spells than Voldemort knew now, though.

Umbridge stared at the ring greedily before she continued reading. The Potter bratlette didn't deserve such wondrous things.

**~He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.~**

The entirety of the Hall stared at Vernon in horror.

"H-How can you not a-a-a-approve of imagination?" Fred asked, horrified at the very thought.

Vernon ignored him and instead glared at the book.

**~As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't mprove his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning.~**

"Still say it's McGonagall." Seamus muttered to Katie Bell, who bet it was a normal cat. Dean narrowed his eyes, he had bet that it was someone else.

**~It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.~**

"It's McGonagall." Seamus muttered, crossing his fingers.

**~"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.~**

"I'm with Seamus on this one, it's the Minnie look!" Gred and Forge said. McGonagall glared at James.

"I had been free of that nickname for years, and now you brought it back!" she hissed, reminding everyone of the tabby cat her Animagus form was.

**~Was this normal cat behavior?~**

"No, but-" James was shut up by Dorea whacking his arm. McGonagall beamed at her Lion.

"10 points to Gryffindor for controlling your father!" she announced. Those who knew that James was a Marauder stared at McGonagall in shock.

"Only 10, Minerva? What with James' track record, I award Lady Dorea Potter 100 points!" Dumbledore said. The other professors that taught James nodded in agreement. The Slytherins looked on in shock. 110 points for controlling someone? That wasn't fair! Dorea looked over her shoulder at them.

"Third year." she said simply. Several of them(mainly Malfoy and his sycophants) pouted - at this rate, it was going to take them forever to read to the point where they understood!

**~Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter~**

Michaela stood up and bowed at the mention.

**~and how Dudley had learned a new word (Won't!)~**

"What was his first word?" James demanded. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Probably "More"." she said simply. Lily smiled at Dorea.

"Your first word was "Bill"." she said. Dorea and Bill both flushed at the wolf whistles and catcalls they got from the Gryffindor House.

"Was it really?" she asked. Lily nodded.

"Oh yeah, when Bill said he was your favourite Weasley, he was really your favourite guy." More wolf whistles and catcalls. "I remember everyone just stopped and stared at you - they were just about to go home, you see, and you didn't want Bill to Leave." Lily smiled fondly, and Bill smiled slightly as well.

"Yeah, I remember that. Did Sirius and James both bawl their eyes out that her first word didn't involve either of them?" he asked. Charlie had to pipe in.

"And then the both of you fell asleep in your favourite rocking chair. I think mum still has the pictures." he said, grinning at the blushing pair. Dorea fiddled with a string at the hem of her shirt, ignoring the lecherous grin she was getting from Michaela. Stupid perverted somewhat-friend...

**~Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself to grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin~**

"I remember him!" James said, sitting up. He was a friend of Ted Tonks!" he exclaimed. Tonks, up next to Kingsley, grinned at the mention of her father.

**~with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted,"~**

"That's dad!" Tonks shouted. "I remember he was working in the Muggle World that night, he never told me why, though!" her hair suddenly changed to a bright orange. Marge stared at her in absolute horror. How did that girl do that?

**~said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!~**

"Cool!" Fred and George shouted, then but their heads together and started to plan. James raised an eyebrow at Remus, who mouthed 'Pranksters'. James nodded in understanding before turning back to the book.

**~Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...~**

"If he can put it together that something strange is going on, then we were nearly discovered by Muggle Britain that day!" Lily announced, and most of the adults flushed. They really should have been more careful. Moody grunted, and Dorea jumped. When did he get next to her father?

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he screamed, making the rest of the Hall jump. He smiled when he noticed Dorea only jumped at the small noise, she was more observant that even her father, who had made a damn good Auror.

**~Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was not good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.~**

Lily flipped Petunia off, then smiled sweetly at her shock face. James laughed heartily at his wife's actions, while Dorea grinned.

**~"No," she said sharply. "Why?"~**

"Because she is the most amazing woman ever and the world deserves to know how incredible she is to tame James Charlus Cygnus Potter." James said cockily, earning a whack over the head from Lily, who was grinning.

**~"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... Shooting stars... And there was a lot of funy-looking peiple in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... Maybe... It was something to do with... You know... Her crowd."~**

"Her crowd?" Remus growled. Lily shrugged.

"Magical people." she said simply. Remus glared at the Dursleys.

**~Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Drusley wondered whether he dared to tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare.~**

"Too late now~!" Dorea sang. Several other people from each of the Houses grinned at the looks on Vernon and Petunia's faces.

**~Instead, he said, as casually as he could "Their daughter - she'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't she?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"Whats her name again? Destiny, isn't it?"**

**"Dorea. Nasty, freakish name, if you ask me."~**

"Oh, and Dudley's just oh-so normal. At least I was name after my grandmother!" Dorea shouted, glaring at Petunia for insulting the name that the name that her parents had decided for her.

**~"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart inking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden.~**

"And noticed that, without his niece's weeding and pruning the garden was hideously overrun with weeds and thistles." Dorea said happily. Lily blinked at her daughter. "What? I like gardening. It's why my mark in Herbology is so high."

**~The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.~**

"You mean some_one_." McGonagall muttered, remembering exactly why she had been there that day.

**~Was he imagining things? Could this all have anything to do with the Potters?~**

"Yes." all three Potters deadpanned.

**~If it did... If it got out that they were related to a pair of-~**

"Of what?" Remus growled, glaring at the Dursleys for insulting his pack.

**~well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly, but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...~**

"You should feel more worried about what we feel about you, seeing as we're the ones with magical powers." Theodore Nott, a Slytherin, said, earning shocked looks from everyone. "Hey, they're insulting one of the most powerful magical Families in the history of the wizarding world! I think that deserves a good threat." he said, crossing his arms. People nodded, accepting the answer.

**~He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...~**

"Famous last words!" Lily said. James gave her an odd looks. "It's a saying that means it's a prediction that'll be proven wrong." Everyone that heard nodded in understanding.

**~How very wrong he was.~**

"Ya see?" Dorea asked, holding a hand towards the book in Umbridge's hand. "Because he said that it involves him."

**~Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was siting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive.~**

"Maybe it isn't an Animagus..." Katie whispered, worrying about the 5 galleons she had bet up.

**~It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.~**

"Damn, only an Animagus could have that sort of patience." Katie sighed, getting ready to hand over the galleons.

**~A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.~**

"Nah, that's Apparation. Whoever it is can Apparate silently." Bill said, looking at Dumbledore. He had his suspicions as to who it was that appeared at Privet Drive.

**~The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to luck into his belt.~**

"Uh, ew, that would be disgusting." Lavender Brown, a fashionista Gryffindor, said with a crinkled nose.

**~He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept to the ground, and high-heled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles, and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.~**

"Professor Dumbledore, why were you there?" Umbridge asked. Dumbledore looked down.

"As Remus was deemed unacceptable as a guardian by the Ministry - which I spent the day arguing over with Fudge while Poppy was giving Dorea a checkup to ensure there was no lasting damage from the Curse that rebounded - Sirius was incarcerated, Alice and Frank..." he couldn't bring himself to say anymore. He shook his head. "I was the only other one in their will that was to be named Dorea's Guardian. Though, that title is no longer necessary now that Dorea has the title of Lady Potter."

**~He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realizt he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. Hu chuckled an mutter, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.~**

"THAT IS SO COOL!" both set of redheaded twins shouted, looking at Dumbledore with shining eyes. The elderly wizard couldn't help but chuckle.

**~He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into the darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,~**

"It's actually called a Deluminator. It was made using a mixt of a Muggle invention, Arithmancy and Ruins." Dumbledore explained. The third years and up that didn't take those subjects were cursing their choices, while the second years were deciding on taking those subjects.

**~until the only lights left on the the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked outside their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat.~**

"Professor, why would you do that?" Dean asked, genuinely curious. Dumbledore just smiled an pointed to the book.

**~He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."~**

Seamus cheered as a large amount of Gryffindors groaned and handed him galleons. Dean glared at his best friend.

"It's your _damn_ _Irish_ _luck_!" he cursed glaring at Seamus. Sierra's head perked up at the mention of Irish. Her mum was Irish!

**~He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking~**

"Now that's just mean!" McGonagall shouted, glaring at Dorea. Said Lady threw her hands up in defeat.

"I didn't write these books! I'll say it once, and I'll probably have say it over and over again!" she announced. Bill chuckled at the girl's actions, earning a Stinging Hex from said girl.

**~woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.~**

That question earned McGonagall disbelieving looks from everyone, save Umbridge, in the Hall. McGonagall flushed under the many gazes.

**~"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

**"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all way." said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozens feasts and parties on my way here."~**

"Yeah, Minnie's a huge party animal. I can't count the amount of Gryffindor parties that she's broken up." Dorea said sarcastically. "And then are restarted with Silencing Wards and tons of firewhiskey." she muttered so only her parents could hear her. James whooped in agreement, while Lily smiled at the memories.

**~ Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.~**

"How do you do that? Sniff angrily..." Sierra wondered, looking at McGonagall.

**~"Oh yes, everyone's celebration, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news."~**

"The celebrations were worth the Obliviations." Charlie said happily. Moody grunted in disagreement.

"All Aurors and Obliviators were constantly being called place to place because of the mistakes people made - we were very nearly discovered that day." he grumbled. Dorea sent him a sheepish smile.

**~She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... Shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid.~**

All Muggles and Muggleborns in the vicinity glared at McGonagall. She held up her hands, a sign of surrender.

"I meant that they weren't just brushing it off lke they normally do, they were actually suspicious." she explained to the muggles that she liked and the muggleborns.

**~They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."~**

"Now that's just mean!" the 5 15 year old muggles insisted. Dan huffed.

"Uncle Dedalus is hilarious!" he grumbled. People stared at him in shock. "My dad is a muggle and my mum is a Squib. I grew up knowing all her cousins - including Uncle Dedalus." he explained simply. Moody and Lily shared a look. 2 of the supposed muggles had magical blood running through their veins, what about the other 3?

**~"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."~**

"Eleven long, long years." Dumbledore sighed. "Those years felt longer than the Grindelwald war."

**~"I know that," said Professor McGanagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothers, swapping rumors." She threw a sharp, sidewars glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-KNow-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"~**

"FOREVER!" Umbridge screeched, causing those closest to her to cover their ears from the horrible noise.

**~"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you like a lemon drop?"**

**"A what?"~**

"It's a muggle sweet. Pretty tasty if I do say so myself." Dorea said. Dumbledore beamed at the girl, and floated a bag of the candy over to her. McGonagall shook her head, those were the only two people in Hogwarts that enjoyed that certain candy. Michaela stole a lemon drop from Dorea, she was never one to pass up the opportunity to eat sweets.

**~"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet that I'm rather fond of."~**

Dorea made a noise of agreement as she sucked on that particular type of sweet.

**~"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.~**

Dorea's jaw dropped.

"But Professor, it's always time for lemon drops!" she said, waving her arms wildly. Dumbledore, having a goblet full of pumpkin juice, raised it in agreement with Dorea's statement.

**~"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone-"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense~**

"YOU SEE?! HE AGREES!" Dorea shouted at everyone in Hogwarts. Hermione glared at Dorea.

"_HE'S_ WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM?!" she screamed back. Dorea huffed.

"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." she chanted, her usual mantra. Lily and Remus looked at Dumbledore.

"Isn't that what you kept telling us before Voldemort made his name taboo?" he asked. Hermione gave Dorea a look.

"You got your _mantra_ from him _too_?" she demanded. Dorea shrugged.

"It's a good mantra, and besides, he never copyrighted it." she said simply.

**~- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."~**

Umbridge stumbled over the name, flinching. Most of the Hall flinched with her, the exceptions being those in the Order, past or present, and Dorea. Molly was the only one in the Order who flinched.

"Voldy, Moldy, Moldyshorts, Voldemort. It's not even his real name, people! It's French for Flight of Death!" she groaned, facepalming. James patted her shoulder, smiling at her.

"I know. Names aren't secrets when you're dead. His mum's actually a really polite woman, his dad's an ass. Same with his grandfather and uncle." James said, wrinkling his nose. Dorea smiled up at him, then turned back to the book.

**~Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops,~ **(which Dorea was doing right now)** ~seemed not to notice. "It' gets all confusing if we keep saying 'You-KNow-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."~**

"And neither do I, and I've face him 4 times already!" Dorea said. Umbridge stood up, pointing at Dorea, her face bright enough a pink to match her cardigan.

"LIES!" she screamed. Dorea stood up, glaring at Umbridge.

"I am many things. I am officially an orphan. I am an only child. I am the Lady of the House of Potter-" here James cut in.

"And Peverell and Gryffindor." he said. Umbridge's face paled drastically. Dorea looked at her father, impressed.

"I'm the heiress of Gryffindor and Peverell too?" Dorea asked. James gave her a look.

"You're not used to being a Lady yet, are you?" he asked. Dorea blinked at him.

"Seeing as how I became Lady Potter... Gryffindor-Peverell only about 10 minutes ago, yeah, I'm not used to it yet." she grumbled, and turned back to Umbridge. "Lady of the ("Most Ancient and Most Noble!" James hissed.) Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter, Peverell, and Gryffindor. I am a halfblood. But, of all the things that I am, I am not a liar." she spat. Umbridge glared at Dorea one last time before turning back to the book.

**~"I know you haven't," said McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-Who - oh, alright Voldemort - was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."~**

"Only because you're too noble to use them, Dumbles." James said. McGonagall smirked at James.

**~"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."~**

Remus cleared his throat.

Since c Sirius isn't able to do it, I guess I'll do it instead. NOOOOO, JAMESIE, YOU'VE _TURNED_!" Remus screamed dramatically, throwing himself at James' torso. James burst out laughing, with Padfoot rolling around on the floor, making what appeared to be the canine version of laughter.

**~"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."~**

"Uh, TMI!" Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil whined, covering their ears.

**~Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next the the rumors that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he'd disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" It seemed Professor McGonagall had reached the point she and most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter~**

Dorea snuggled into her parents' arms. She really didn't want to hear this. She really, really didn't want to hear this.

**~are - are - that they're - dead."~**

James, Lily, and Dorea all pressed their heads togther, James and Lily's heads on top of Dorea's. Most of the Hall, even many of the Slytherins, glared at how Umbridge said that so - so heartlessly. They couldn't bear the idea of Umbridge reading their parents' deaths that way, let alone with them in the room.

**~Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."~**

"None of us wanted to believe it, either." Bill said, his head supported by his hands. "Uncle James and Aunt Lily were _Unspeakables_, and damn good ones, too. To think - to think that in less that one hour..." Bill broke off, wiping away a tear. Dorea walked over to him and gave him a tight hug. Molly smiled at the scene. They were really good for each other.

**~Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I knows... I know..." he said heavily..**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying that he tried to kill the Potter's daughter, Dorea...~**

The younger muggleborns gasped. Attempting to kill an infant? That's disgusting!

Marge sighed._ If only he had killed the brat..._

**~But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little girl. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Dorea Potter, Voledmort's power somewhow broke - and that's why he's gone."~**

Those same muggleborns looked at Dorea with awe. Incredible!

Dudley, Michaela, Dan, Cat, Sierra, and Dante all stared at Dorea, who was still hugging Bill, with shock. They had never known...

**~Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's not true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... All the people he's killed, He couldn't kill a little girl? It's just astounding... Of all the things to stop him... But how in the name of Heaven did Dorea survive?"**

**"We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know."~**

"It's Ancient Potter Magick." James said. Dorea had moved back into his and Lily's arms upon Bill's prompt, and was now snuggling into his chest. "If a Potter by blood or marriage willingly sacrifices him or herself to save the life of another, family or not, then that person will live." he said.

Umbridge drooled slightly at the mention of that power. What she would give to be in the Potter family...

**~Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.~**

The atmosphere was too solemn for anyone to comment on how amazing that was.

**~It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose if was he who old you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Dorea to her aunt and uncle. They're the only family she's has left now."~**

"Before you say anything, James, it was either them or the Malfoys." he said, then froze as Tonks glared at him. "Andromeda had already confessed to me that she had her hands full enough with you, that is the only reason that I didn't think you your family as an option." he explained. Tonks seemed to accept that answer with relative ease.

**~"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they're son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Dorea Potter come and live here!"**

**"It's the best place for her," said Dumbledore firmly. "Her aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to her when she's older. I've written them a letter."~**

"A. _Letter_?!" ground out Hermione and Molly Weasley. Lily didn't bother to react, she was too busy comforting Dorea, comforting her baby.

**~"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand her! she'll be famous - a legend - O wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Dorea Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Dorea - every child in our world will know her name!"~**

Dorea made a face at the mention of her fame. Just what everyone wanted - to be famous for surviving what killed your parents.

**~"Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any girl's head. Famous before she can walk and talk! Famous for something she won't even remember!~**

"I wish I didn't remember it." she whispered. Cedric Diggory, who had silently been talking with his parents most of the time, looked at Dorea.

"You- You remember when they were murdered?" he asked, his voice cracking. Eyes widened at the question. Dorea nodded.

"It's what I hear when there are Dementors around." she said. Suddenly, all those who mocked her for fainting around Dementors felt guilty. How would they react if they heard their parents last words whenever they walked by Dementors? Lily looked up at Dumbledore.

"Dorea was talking by then, she was able to hold conversations with everyone - except Peter. She _really_ hated Peter." Lily explained. James looked down at that last comment. How could they have not known Peter was the spy?

**~Can you see how much better off she'll be, growing up away from all that until she's ready to take it all?"~**

"You're reasoning was actually really good..." James muttered. Dorea nodded.

"There were also the Blood Wards that kept the Death Nibblers away." she muttered back. James looked at Dorea, shocked, then nodded. That's right, Lily put up Blood Protection as well _**(A/N: James died before Lily, remember? He wouldn't remember perfectly if Lily put up the protection or not, seeing as how he HAD JUST DIED.)** _- and with Petunia being Dorea's aunt, that meant the Protections would be stronger than if Dorea went to Andromeda or Sirius.

Severus Snape snorted at the thought of Dorea Potter not having a big head. Arrogant little bitch...

**~Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the girl getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly, as though she thought he might be hiding Dorea underneath it.~**

Everyone single person stared at McGonagall in disgust for that mental image. Dorea herself turned a pale green at the thought of being hidden under Dumbledore's robes.

Umbridge shuddered slightly and continued reading.

**~"Hagrid's bringing her."**

**"You think it is - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"~**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life!" the Trio exclaimed. Dorea smiled sheepishly, though.**

**"Just not my secrets." she added on. Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement, and Hagrid flushed at how easy it was to get information from him. Umbridge sneered at the thought of trusting that half-breed with anything, then turned back to the book.**

**~"I would trust Hagrid with my life." said Dumbledore.~**

The Trio blinked.

"That's just-" Ron started.

"-Really, really-" Hermione continued.

"-Creepy." Dorea finished. Then all three grinned.

"Great minds think alike~!" they sang out. James and Remus shared a look. Those three were more in tune than James and Sirius were, on par with the Prewitt and Weasley Twins.

**~"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "But you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

**A low, rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar and they both looked to the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.~**

"It's Sirius' bike!" James said, hugging Dorea. "Whenever even Bill couldn't normally get you to sleep, we would just have to take you for a ride in the air around Godric's Hollow and you'd be asleep in minutes. Though it was usually Bill holding you in the sidecar that got you to sleep faster." James announced, grinning at Dorea's flushed face. Bill's ears turned pink at the mention of him usually being the one that got Dorea to sleep. Charlie looked from Bill to Dorea, his eyes wide. Did James mean...?

Molly, on the other hand, was fuming at James and Lily allowed a 10 year old and a 1 year old near such a dangerous contraption.

**~If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man, and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and was so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle.~**

"Threatening, threatening, threatening - the bundle ruins it." Remus said, grinning at the half-giant. Hagrid smiled at Remus behind his beard and blushing face.

**~"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get the motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got her, sir."~**

"ASSOCIATING WITH A CRIMINAL!" Fudge yelled, his face bright purple as he pointed at Hagrid. Bill stood up, glaring at the man.

"If you're arresting him, you have to arrest most of us here, as well. We all associated with Sirius Black, and I can honestly say that I doubt he would ever betray James, Lily, and Dorea Potter before dieing." he said. Umbridge stood up, pointing at Bill.

"YOU DARE QUESTION THE MINISTRY?!" she screeched. Many of the professors winced and covered their ears at the sound. Dorea shot out of her seat this time.

"Yeah, _we dare_." she whispered. Suddenly, everyone in the Hall understood what Hermione was describing when it came to Dorea whispering instead of shouting when she was angry. She sounded like Death himself - her voice was dark, raspy, and filled with the most negative emotions a person could think of. Padfoot shuddered, if Dementors could speak, they would speak like this. "We dare to question a Ministry that sends the Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black to Azkaban _without a trial_." she said simply, and sat down.

That statement, that single, simple statement, set the Hall into chaos. The Purebloods of the Slytherin House were screaming profanities at Fudge - if he sent Lord Black to Azkaban without a trial, then what did that mean for them? The 'Misfit Gang' were screaming horrible things at Fudge, cases like that never existed in the muggle world. Sierra summoned a ball of fire and threw it at the bowler-capped Minister, earning praises from the Weasley children. Cat was clenching her fists, glaring icily at Umbridge and Fudge, her brown eyes becoming amber with slitted pupils. The Gryffindors were screaming about the corruption of the Ministry, as were the Hufflepuffs - many of which also added in insults to Madam Fudge as well. The Ravenclaws were putting their heads together, many holding books and reading over what appeared to be with wizard laws. Amelia Bones was glaring at Fudge and Umbridge, while Dumbledore raised his wand and let out a loud CRACK to silence everyone. It worked, and Amelia took the opportunity to speak.

"Cornelius, is that true?" she asked. Fudge suddenly looked sheepish.

"It's possibly true... Barty was in charge of the Black case, and since he'd missing - presumably dead - we can't hear his say." he said. Amelia wasn't fooled, though, as her eyes narrowed further and she took out her wand.

"Minister Cornelius Fudge, I, Amelia Joanne Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, am placing you under arrest and all matters involving the Sirius Black case will be investigated, as the case now falls into my hands. As of now, the warrant for the Dementor's Kiss is negated, and instead Sirius Black may show himself and be brought in fir questioning under tested Veritaserum, wherever he may be." she said, an azure glow surrounding her. Fudge was forced to his seat by chains matching the exact same colour as Amelia's glow, and Umbridge could only fume. There was nothing she could do about this now, once Amelia took over the case and declared Fudge arrested, it appeared Magic itself agreed and chained up the Minister.

Someone shrieked as Padfoot changed into Sirius, who stretched and sat next to James.

"As much as I love my Snuffles form, I much prefer being human." Sirius said, grinning at his friend. James raised an eyebrow.

"You seem completely normal with me sitting here." he stated. Sirius shrugged.

"Dog minds work far faster than human minds. So-" Lily cut Sirius off.

"So you're mind worked at the same pace as most peoples' do?" she asked. The Hall snickered at Sirius' expense Umbridge sat down, cleared her throat, and continued reading.

**~"No problems, were there?"**

**"No sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got her out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. She fell asleep as we were flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forwards over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over her freahead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.~**

"That's the Potter Ruin for Power!" James said, inspecting Dorea's scar. "We can probably run some tests on it, see what happened after the curse rebounded - most other checkups won't affect Family Ruins." he explained quickly. Dorea nodded, then settled back into her seat, unaware of the many stares that she was getting.

**~"Is that where-?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "She'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about if, Dumbledore?"~**

"It would be better if he doesn't do anything other than a regular checkup, the Potter Family Ruins can only be used or altered by a member of the Potter family or a Potter Soulmate." Lily said, her eyes wide at the thought of Dumbledore tampering with a Potter Ruin. "Potter Ruins are handed down from Merlin and Morganna themselves, they're some of the most powerful Ruins in the world - and some of the most difficult ones to work with." she explained to Bill, who salivated at the thought of more Ruins. Ginny shook her head at the look on her eldest brother's face, only Bill would get that excited over Ruins.

**~"Even if I could, I wouldn't.~**

"Thank you." Lily muttered, holding a hand to her chest.

**~Scars can come in handy. I have one myself, above my left knee, that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give her here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."~**

_'. . . . .'_ was what everyone thought as they stared at Dumbledore. Umbridge ignored this and continued on.

**~Dumbledore took Dorea in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to her, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Dorea and gave him what must have ben a scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"~**

"And the motorcycle won't?" Dante asked in disbelief. Sirius shrugged.

"It's charmed so only Wizards can hear it. To Muggles, ordinary Muggles, it just would sound like any other motorcycle." he said. Dante gawked at Sirius.

"That is so cool - I don't even know how to say how cool it is." he said. Michaela shook her head at Dante, then turned back to the book. That was such a Dante thing to say.

**~"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But i c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor Dorea off ter live with Muggles-"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front dor. He laid Dorea gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Dorea's blankets, and then came back to the other two.~**

"YOU LEFT HER ON THE DOORSTEP?!" Cat, Hermione, Michaela, Molly, Sierra, Ginny, and surprisingly Bill, all screamed at Dumbledore. The elderly man look shocked.

"There were warming, drying, comfort, and protection spells on her to ensure that she was safe until she was taken in by Petunia Dursley." he said. Michaela and Bill didn't miss that he only said Petunia Dursley, not the Dursleys.

**~For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "That's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, sir."~**

"You know, I never got that back." Sirius said, looking at Hagrid. Hagrid smiled at the man, his eye twitching. James and Lily trusted him still, they knew who really betrayed them... He best try to accept Sirius until after the investigation is over.

"I gave it ter Arthur." he said, looking at Mr. Weasley. Molly spun around, glaring at her husband. Arthur started fumbling.

"Ah, well, you see, Molly dear, all I did was shrink it and, ah, hide it away beneath the floorboards in Bill's room-" Bill cut his dad off here.

"Is that why that floorboard's always creaking?" he asked incredulously. Arthur nodded, and Bill looked like most of his long-unanswered questions had finally been answered.

**~Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine to life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and tok out the silver Put-Outer. He licked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange, and he could make out the tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Dorea," he murmured. He turned on his heel, and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.~**

"Yeah, I needed more than luck."

**~A breeze rufled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Dorea Potter rolled over inside her blankers without waking up.~**

"You were such an adorable baby. 10 times more so than Ginny." Bill said, a dreamy look in his eyes as he remembered playing with the 1 year old Dorea. Ginny scoffed at the idea, and Luna, who had remained silent since her last part, smiled.

"I believe that the blibbering humdingers may have visited you that night, Dorea." she said. "They're a type of faerie that tend to stay near those with elvish blood running through their veins." Michaela paled - if that was even possible, she was so pale already. "They grant those they see it with double-bladed luck - on one hand, they have luck in leaps and bounds when it's needed, but otherwise their luck is horrible, and drains the luck of those around them." she explained. Hermione blinked at Luna, she that actually made sense.

"Luna, for once we agree on something." she said simply. Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"My luck isn't that bad! It gets us out of all sorts of trouble!" she insisted. Hermione and Ron both snorted.

"Mate, your luck is what gets us into trouble!" Ron insisted. Dorea huffed and sunk into her seat, outvoted and outnumbered.

**~One small hand closed on the letter beside her and she slept on, not knowing she was special, not knowing she was famous, not knowing she would be woken up in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream~**

Lily winced, remembering the times she was on the receiving end of that wake-up call.

**~as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that she could spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by her cousin Dudley... She couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Dorea Potter - the girl who lived!"~**

Umbridge cleared her throat one last time, only this time it was angrily.

"Well, that was the end of the first chapter. Who would like to read next?" she asked.

**~O~O~O~**

_**Word count: 17,659**_

_**The plot for the non-boks part of this story will be moving along faster than the other Reading the HP Books fanfics on this sight simply because of all the bashings - NO, Snape will not be seen as a good guy at the end of the seventh book, Albus Potter will, instead of Albus Severus Potter, be named Albus Arthur Potter, in recognition of the men who influenced Dorea's life the most - her grandfather-figure and the man who held the father-figure position the out of all the men who have ever held it.**_

_**FLAMES ARE NOT WELCOME! It took me a good 5 hours to type out this chapter, if you don't like it, DON'T READ IT. I promise it will get better as it goes, Dorea will end up smarter due to her parents' tutorings and the Blood Feud between Dorea and Snape. I just want to get this out of the way now - Dorea and Bill won't get together until the end of(at least) the first book. Definitely by the middle of the third. At the moment, Dorea has a thing for Bill, and the two flirt a LOT with each other.**_

**_Each book will take a different amount of time for the characters to read - and, logically, the longer the book the longer it takes to read. So, while the first three books might be read in a few weeks, the fourth and fifth books could very well take a month for the characters to read - simply because there are more chapters and those chapters are longer. In case you want to know, this story takes place before Halloween during OotP. I'm gonna have them have a Halloween Ball for everyone that's there, the DA formed, in this fanfic, first few weeks into the school year._**

_**This will be the Guide for House Standings:**_

_**Most Ancient and Most Noble: these families were recognized by Merlin and Morganna(name changed because story changed, instead of Morgana being evil only Mordred is, Morganna is just Dark) as magical families. No higher honour is there in Pureblood Society than being of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. Ie; Potter, Black, Greengrass, Longbottom, Bones**_

_**Most Ancient and Noble: these families have been around for just as long as the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, only these families weren't recognized as magical families by either Merlin or Morganna. Ie; Malfoy, Nott, Zabini, Davis**_

_**Ancient and Noble: these families have been around for at least 500 years and have at least more than 100,000 galleons in their bank account. Ie; Clearwater, Patil, Boot, Diggory**_

**_Ancient: these families have been around for at least 500 years. Ie; Weasley, Brown, MacMillan, MacDougal_**

**_Noble: these families have at least 100,000 galleons in their bank account. Ie; Bell, Chang, Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle_**

**_*** NOTE: Should a person from a lower standing Pureblood family(Ancient, Noble) marry someone from a high standing family(Most Ancient and Most Noble, Most Ancient and Noble) they will take on the name of the higher standing family. Ie; if Ron were to Marry Susan Bones, Ron would become Lord Bones rather than keeping the Weasley name. If two people of the same standing are married, and are the last of their families, their names will be hyphenated and they must have at least two children - one to carry on each name. Ie; if Neville and Susan were to marry, their marital name would be Longbottom-Bones rather than just one or the other. ***_**

**_REVIEWS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED!_**

**_V_**

**_V_**

**_V_**

**_SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!_**


	2. Book 1: Chapter 2

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

_**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**_

_**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing!**_

_**Alright, first off: I'd like to apologize for the Ruins/Runes mix up! ^^" Ancient Runes are hardly mentioned in the canon at all, which will be changed! It's not much of a spoiler, since the classes aren't gonna be mentioned much; but Dorea will be taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes(mainly because she didn't want Hermione to be alone in those classes, but also because they looked interesting)**_

_**I'd like to also explain how the Signet Ring works: While it doesn't give out political information(since that changes over time with the different politicians), it does give out basic Pureblood knowledge - such as ettiquette, social circles, how to deal with different magical creatures, etc. For detailed information Dorea will have to read the family Grimoire.**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES!**_

_**griffindork93: Heh, I love Barry, just I can't really write with a guy as the main character at the moment - I'm improving on it, but since I'm a girl, it's harder. It would be like a guy trying to write a gilr's POV, which, I can tell you, would be REALLY REALLY HARD FOR THEM. No, Snape will never be a good guy. Evidense: he hated Harry before he even met her, in second year he encouraged Malfoy to use Serpensortia on him, in third year it looks like he was trying to get Lupin killed(he purposely left his Wolvesbane in Lupin's office, heard Sirius' story, and STILL insisted that Remus was trying to help Sirius kill Harry), in fourth year he threatened to use a highly registered on Harry out of simple suspicion, in fifth year he could have told Harry that Sirius was still at HQ instead of letting him go to the Ministry and almost get killed, in sixth year he made an Unbrakable Vow to help Malfoy in his mission, and during Harry's seventh year he did nothing to help the Gryffindors, if anything he made it worse for them. Hogwarts really needs a Hufflepuff Headmaster/Headmistress.**_

_**Katzztar: Heh heh... In all honesty, those OCs are based off me and some of my friends... I'm Michaela! *waves* Just I don't dress like that... But I would if I could pull it off! Yeah, femHarry/Bill and Harry/Bill are my favourite pairings as well :) And I find it rediculous that people would make Lily and Molly alike; in the brief memory of Snape, the Marauders, and Lily in their fifth year, Lily seems absolutely nothing like Molly. If anything, comparing Molly to Lily is like comparing a lioness to a tigress - they're totally different people. I think Molly is overprotective because while her eldest was graduating Hogwarts, her youngest was still in the single digits for age. that's enough to screw up anyone's judgement on how to treat your children. Lily is described as strong, independent, beautiful, and daring. Molly was only ever described as a mother. And I don't mind the sort of flaming you did, since it was just pointing out the small things I missed while editing - I really need a Beta... But anyways, the kind of flaming you did I don't consider flaming - you're only pointing out the things that I got wrong in a manner to try and help me. It would be like my firned pointing out that I have spinach in my teeth instead of just letting me walk around with it stuck there all day. Thos types of spelling mistakes are typically from typing too fast - but I'm gonna correct that. I learnt from the first chapter that simply TYPING OUT the entire original chapter, plus adding in breaks for comments and such, takes about... a good 5-6 hours of pure typing. You have no idea how sore my back was after I finished that chapter - AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING EDITING, WHICH TOOK A GOOD 3 HOURS ON ITS OWN! =3=**_

_**AddaBlack94: I think I'm one fo the few who respects what he did to save Harry in the seventh book, but other than that I hate him. Yeah, he tried to save Harry in the first book, but that was to get rid of the life Debt that he owed James. In all honesty, his love for Lily is more of an obsession than anything else. It's the way he treats the other Houses and lets Slytherins get away with everything that makes everyone see the Slytherins as evil, which makes them turn evil because evil people are the only ones who would accept them. Perfect example is what happened to Snape; he was treated like he was evil from the moment he was sorted, and as such he turned evil. I mean, seriously? Like I said before(earlier reply), HOGWARTS REALLY NEEDS A HUFFLEPUFF HEADMASTER/MISTRESS - SOMEONE WHO WON'T PUT A HOUSE BEFORE THE RULES!**_

_**Madame Director: Well, brat is more masculine, so I used bratlette to feminise it. Thanks for the points! And don't worry about those who were brought back, in the sixth book reading I have a plan that'll change everything :3 No, Hermione and Ron will not be together. I'm thinking about Fred and Hermione, since JKR also confessed to considering that pairing, and as for Ron, I really don't know who he'll be with yet... Maybe one of my OC/friends? In third year, Dorea took Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures. She didn't want to leave any of her friends out, and both Ron and Hermione were taking the canon subjects, so... *shrugs* And that's not the longest review I've ever seen. I've even wrote longer reviews - that consisted of either rants or ramblings.**_

**~O~O~O~**

**~text~** - book

"text" - speech

text - narrative

_text_ - thoughts or emphasis/exaggerations

_text_ - spells

text - latin

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

"OH! OH! I'LL READ!" Michaela said, bouncing up and down in her seat, her arm raised and her hand fluttering. She looked like Hermione waiting to answer a question. "PICK ME!" She called out. Umbridge scowled at the girl, leaving McGonagall to levitate the book over to the half-elf. She happily picked it up and opened it to the second chapter.

**~CHAPTER TWO - THE VANISHING GLASS.~** she read. Dorea groaned, looks like they didn't automatically go to her Hogwarts years. Everyone else, on the other hand, was excited. They got to read about Dorea's accidental magic! Lily and James, on the other hand, grinned wickedly and fingered their wands. When they had gotten them back, they had no idea, but now they could hex those Dursleys into oblivion.

**~Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their niece on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.~**

"Boring." Bill and Charlie chorused. People snickered as the pair fist bumped.

"The Burrow's changing every minute, how can you not change at least once in 10 years?" Ginny asked, looking at the Dursleys incredulously.

**~The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed.**

**Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets.~**

People looked over at Dudley, grins on their faces. Dan and Cat had burst into hysterical laughter, and were currently rolling on the floor. Michaela just ignored them and read louder.

**~- but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle,~**

"Poor thing." Ron muttered. Michaela snorted and continued.

**~on a carousel at the fair,~**

"Poor carousel." Dorea sighed, holding a hand over her heart. "It shall forever have that dent."

**~playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.**

**The room held no sign at all that another child lived in the house, too.~**

"Why's that?" Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, asked. Dorea had always been one of her favourite students, always so polite and got her work done so well. Dorea shrugged in response.

"They never really cared enough to advertise me." she said. No one noticed Michaela's grip on the book tighten, nor did they notice how Bill's sapphire eyes narrowed in anger.

**~Yet Dorea Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Her Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up! Get up! _Now_!"~**

"And we complain about how mum wakes _us_ up." Charlie murmured, rubbing the back of his head. Yeah, having the blankets torn off of you was much better than that. Lily, on the other hand, winced sympathetically.

**~Dorea woke with a start. Her aunt rapped on the door again.**

**"Up!" she screeched. Dorea heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. She rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream she had been having. It had been a good one.~**

"How close to the kitchen is your bedroom?" Bill asked. Dorea ignored him, instead choosing to look at the ceiling.

"What was it about?" asked Luna. Professor Trelawny, who had wandered in during the first chapter, looked at Dorea curiously. Dorea Potter had a good dream for once?

**~It had a flying motorcycle in it, as well as a boy with flaming red hair and the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen.~**

Bill and Dorea both flushed at the catcalls and wolf whistles they got at the mention.

**~She had a funny feeling she'd had the same dream before.~**

"It was a result of the trauma of watching your parents die, my dear." Madam Pomfrey stated. "Your mind, having been through such trauma at a young age, went to find the first comforting memory it could. Obviously the memory of flying with Mister Weasley was the first one it found."

Madam Pomfrey was oblivious to how embarrassed she was actually making the pair.

**~Her aunt was back outside the door. "Are you up yet." she demanded.~**

"Give her time!" said Cat, who had recovered from her laughing fit.

**~"Nearly," said Dorea.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." Dorea groaned.~**

"They. Made. You. _Cook_?" Hermione spat, hissing like an angered cat. Dorea slowly tried to back away, or at least hide behind her own mother.

**~"What did you say." his aunt snapped through the door.~**

"She didn't say anything." Ginny hissed at the horse-like woman. Petunia stubbornly ignored everyone except her husband, son, and sister-in-law.

**~"Nothing, nothing..." Dudley's birthday - how could she have forgotten.~**

"Quite simple, sweety, you didn't want to remember it." Bill said in a condescending voice. Dorea scowled at him.

"This is the 10 year old me talking!" she insisted. Bill shrugged, grinning at having gotten under her skin.

**~Dorea got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. She found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider~**

Ron let out a startled yelp at the mention of the creature, and the Twins looked at their laps.

"We're sorry..." they murmured in synch.

**~off one of them, put them on.~**

"Ugh, how could you do that?" Ron asked, shuddering. Dorea shrugged.

"My feet were cold." she said simply, knowing what was coming up. She could only pray that no one overreacted...

**~Dorea was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them,~**

"Why would it mention a cupboard?" Amelia Bones muttered out loud, staring down the Dursleys.

**~and that was where she slept.~**

The room went deathly silent as everyone stared at the book. Michaela's face had gone white with rage, her fingernails digging deeply into the covers. Eventually Bill stuck his finger in his ear, cleaned it out, then looked at Michaela.

"I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. Did you just say... Dorea slept in a _cupboard under the stairs_?" he said, all signs of happiness gone. His voice was flat, icy, and deadly. Michaela shot him a glare, her eyes glowing a deep forest green.

"No, I read what it says. They put her," she placed the book down so she wouldn't damage it in her rage. "IN A BLOODY EFFING _CUPBOARD_ UNDER THE EFFING _STAIRS_!" she screeched. Her skin started to ripple with power, her ears growing longer and pointed. The Dursleys all gulp at the realization that they had just pissed off people that weren't _exactly_ human, witches, and wizards. And that they were greatly outnumbered. Petunia and Vernon took one glance at Lily and James' sadistic grins in order for them to realize that they might not get out of this castle alive. Dorea didn't focus on many of the others, instead, she was focused on the misfit gang.

Cat's eyes were bright amber, the pupils slitted. She was heaving, her nails had turned into claws. Dante was balling and un-balling his fists, his face stone cold and deadly. Sierra had summoned some fire, and was currently throwing it up and down like one would a baseball. Dan was writing a list using pen and paper, muttering obscenities under his breath. It only took Lily sending the first hex to set them all off.

Sierra was throwing flaming ball after flaming ball at the Dursleys. Cat had jumped at them and was clawing at Marge's legs. Dante was sending blast after blast of water towards them, his face curled into a snarl. Michaela was using tendril-like roots to hurt Dudley, constricting them around him tightly and whipping the fat tub of lard with them. Lily, James, and Bill were working together to send hex after curse after jinx at the Dursleys. The Weasleys(except Molly, who was sobbing, and Percy) started shouting out different spells to use on the muggles. McGonagall was sending curse after curse towards Dumbledore, screaming about how he had claimed Dorea was safe there. Dorea had taken safety in sitting next to Charlie, who had wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tight hug. Malfoy and Parkinson sat there in shock, as did most of the people in the Hall. They had been told, by Professor Snape mainly, that Dorea Potter had been raised in a spoiling environment, and that every adventure she went on was a result of her hubris. Most of those people began to question as to whether what they had heard about Dorea Potter was true or not. Umbridge sat there with a smug, toad-like grin on her face. Finally, someone gave the bratlette what she deserved! Percy, on the other hand, was convincing himself that this was why Dorea had told such horrid lies. She craved love and attention. She wanted what she had grown up without. Snape sat there, shocked that the Potter bitch had a similar childhood as his. _No, his was better, at least he had a room... Aaaah, but she's not been beaten, now is she?_ said a nasty voice, his nasty voice, from the back of Snape's mind. _So, she still is the nasty Potter bitch that she always was..._

It took a good 15 minutes of cursing, hexing, jinxing, torturing, clawing, and firing away at the Dursleys/Dumbledore in order for everyone to sit down calmly enough to continue reading. Someone cast a _Finite_ at the Dursleys, canceling the affects that the spells had on them. Bill stole Dorea from Charlie, however, and now had the tiny girl secure in his lap.

**~When she was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.~**

"Why do you need a second one, it's not like you use the first." Dante said, his voice devoid of all emotion. Dudley winced under the boy's gaze, it made him feel like he had just attempted to just into a river during November.

**~Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Dorea, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody.~**

People growled, knowing what was coming.

**~Dudley's favourite punching bag was Dorea, but he couldn't often catch him. Dorea didn't look it, but she was very fast.~**

"Youngest Seeker in a century!" the Weasley Twins shouted, proud of their oldest baby sister. Bill smiled down at Dorea, who flushed as he squeezed her tighter. Bill wrote it off as her not being used to such affection, or embarrassment from the earlier mention of him being her favourite guy when she was a baby.

**~Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Dorea had always been small and skinny for her age.~**

"Don't worry, Rea, it's a Potter thing." James said, eyeing his daughter and Bill. They looked really -dare he say it?- cute together. Dorea raised an eyebrow at the nickname.

"Why'd you call me Rea?" she asked. Charlie answered.

"It was your nickname when you were still a chubby, little, baby." Charlie said, poking Dorea's far-too-thin side.

**~She looked even smaller and skinnier than she really was because all she had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than she was.~**

"You didn't even bother to buy her new clothes?" asked Cho Chang in disbelief. She never really liked Dorea Potter, she'd had no reason to, but this revelation as to her living environment was shocking.

**~Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair,~**

"Like your father." Professor Babbling, the Ancient Runes teacher, said. She had taught both Lily and James from their third to seventh years, and had been rather fond of the pair.

**~and bright green eyes.~**

"Lily." Filius squeaked.

"You have your mother nose and cheek bones, too." James added, making Dorea beam at the thought. Snape glared.

_No, no, she only has Lily's eyes. Only her eyes..._

**~She wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched her on the nose.~**

At this, Michaela stood up, walked over to Dudley, and socked him in the eye. Grinning as she watched Dudley cry, she bent over to whisper in his ear.

"Try having that happen to you five times a day, all over your body, and then you'll know what your victims go through." she whispered. She was the only other boxing champion in Privet Drive, and she had quite the nasty right hook. Her left uppercut, however, had knocked several people unconscious for days on end. Mainly because of her inhuman strength, but that really didn't count.

**~The only thing Dorea liked about her own appearance was a very thin scar on her forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.~**

"You actually _liked_ it?" Ron asked, slackjawed. Dorea always went on about how she hated it, to hear she once like it... Was rather shocking. Dorea shrugged.

"I didn't know how I got it back then." she said, then glared at Petunia. "At least, the _real_ _reason_ as to how I got it."

**~She had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question she could ever remember asking her Aunt Petunia was how she had gotten it.~**

"She lied, didn't she." Bill asked, but it was more of a statement. Dorea nodded almost invisibly.

**~"In a car crash when your parents died," she had said.~**

"Maybe _you'll_ find yourselves in a car crash soon..." Dan muttered darkly, an evil grin making its way across his face. The Twins, who were sitting next to him, scooted away quickly, sending him fearful looks.

**~"And don't ask questions."**

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.~**

"Is that why you never ask for help, Mi-Lady Potter?" McGonagall asked. Dorea flushed and nodded. She had it programmed into her brain not to ask adults questions - and not to trust them. False hope and all, which was only further proven at Hogwarts.

**~Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Dorea was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.~**

"Great greeting, that." Fred said, looking at George. They both nodded and looked at Dorea.

"Comb your hair!" they barked, immitating Vernon. Dorea grinned, fingering the now-long locks.

"You remember how bad it was in my first year?" she asked. The Twins nodded. "Multiply that by 5 and that's how bad it was growing up." The Twins shared shocked glances.

**~About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Dorea needed a haircut. Dorea must have had more haircuts than the rest of the children in her class put together, but it made no difference, her hair simply grew that way all over the place.~**

"It's part of the Potter Curse, Rea." James said. Dorea looked at him, interested.

"Really? What's the story of the curse?" she asked. James grinned.

"Well, a thousand years or more ago, when the Founders still taught at this school, the Heir to the Potter family, Tentigo Ignotus Potter, decided that he would try to..." James cleared his throat. "_Get it on_ with Rowena Ravenclaw. He was still a fourth year, mind you, and she was a 30 year old woman." Dorea felt a grin inch its way across her face. Oh, this was gonna be good. "So, once she had enough, Rowena cursed him with a spell of her own creation. Tentigo was really vain, you see, and the first part of the curse was that his hair would forever remain a mess. The second part was the Potter family's undeniable attraction towards redheads. The third part was horrible eyesight. Back then they didn't have spectacles or eye correcting potions, so he was stuck wandering around half-blind until Salazar Slytherin got pissed off enough to develop the eye-correcting potion." James shrugged. "He regretted it later when Tentigo married Slytherin's daughter, and then his son married Gryffindor's granddaughter. Needless to say he wasn't very popular with the Founders - except Helga Hufflepuff. Helga was his pseudo-mother." James looked around, everyone staring at him slack jawed "It's in the Grimoire, just read it!" he said. Dorea rolled her eyes, but placed a drop of blood in the golden triangle so she could open the Grimoire anyway. It would make for an interesting read.

Michaela started reading again, distracting everyone from the Potter family history. Except Bill. _Attraction to redheads...? Nah, she couldn't..._

**~Dorea was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel Dorea often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.~**

Lily ran over to her daughter and gave her a hug, laughing the entire time.

**~Dorea put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."~**

"Merlin, what a spoilt child" Molly said.

Everyone rolled their eyes. Malfoy made a spluttering noise. _He_ didn't even get that many!

**~"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."~**

"What are you, five?" Charlie sneered at Dudley, who was trying to shrink into his seat. Was he really that horrible as a kid...? His father had always been so proud of him, was it really wrong...?

**~"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Dorea, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down her bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?"~**

"THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DEAL WITH A TANTRUM! AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A _MOTHER_?!" Professor Sprout hollered, her face turning a bright red. How Dorea turned out so nice with these people as relatives she would never know. Petunia Dursley gasped at the implication that she was a horrible mother, Vernon's a face began turning purple once again, Marge started to swell up in a anger and Dudley looked down at his stomach - he really had been a brat, hadn't he?

**~Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said, "So I'll have thirty...thirty..."~**

"He can't even count!" Hermione exclaimed, astonished. "Dorea, are you sure you're related to these... These people?"

Said ravenette shrugged noncommittally. "I was the top of the class in primary school," she said. "He was the worst. Didn't change anything, actually it made me a bigger target in his eyes." Dorea blinked at the astonished looks she was getting from the other students in the hall. "What? I was already his biggest target because Vernon encouraged it, me becoming an even bigger target just meant that less people were targeted d by him." Hermione only seemed to pick up on Dorea's first part, though.

"You were the smartest?" Hermione asked eagerly. Dorea nodded vigorously. "What happened here?" Everyone laughed that comment. McGonagall huffed. Dorea was third in her year, thank you very much!

"I let you read over my work, that's what happened," she answered, causing people to roar with laughter at Hermione's pout. Snape smirked at Dorea's comment. Lazy, no good, selfish bitch...

**~"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.~**

"Merlin, at least let him figure it out!" Flitwick said, facepalming. That boy was every Ravenclaw's worst nightmare.

**~"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

**"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.~**

"YOU TAUGHT HIM TO BEHAVE LIKE THAT?!" shrieked most of the female professors(which was close to 90% of the professors), save Umbridge. The woman just sat there, an ugly smirk on her face. _This was why muggles were a danger to wizarding society, yes, this was exactly how she would legalise Muggle Hunting..._

**~At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it, while Dorea and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera,~**

Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies professor, was taking note of the items so she could inform her students as to what they were and how they worked after this day's reading was done. Which would be in the next few chapters, at the rate they were going at.

**~a remote control airplane,sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came from the telephone looking both angry and worried.~**

"Petunia, may I ask where the stipend you and your husband were receiving in order to care for Dorea were going?" Dumbledore asked, his voice deadly calm. Petunia flushed, and started stuttering. Dorea paled in anger.

"You were receiving a stipend?" she hissed. Petunia and Vernon exchanged nervous looks. They were in an area that she was allowed to perform magic in... "YOU WERE SPENDING MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ME ON THAT FAT TUB YOU CALL A SON?! I COOKED, I CLEANED, I GARDENED, I SLAVED AWAY WITHOUT COMPLAINT BECAUSE YOU ALL," Dorea glared icily at Marge, including her in her wrath. "SAID THAT I WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR YOU TO PEND MONEY ON, WHEN YOU WERE RECEIVING MONEY JUST TO TAKE CARE OF ME?!" Dorea closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she looked up at Bill. "First chance you get I want you to arrange a meeting between me and the Potter Account Manager. It appears I have some... _Business_ that will most definitely please them." she said. Bill winced slightly, the goblins were only pleased when they made their client richer by running someone else into the poor house. And it looked like Dorea's Signet Ring informed her of that, as well as the Potter Account Manager.

Lily and James had silenced and frozen Petunia, Vernon, and Marge before they could reply. Judging by Vernon's purple face, he really wanted to start screaming at Dorea... Or strangle her, whichever was the easiest. Michaela took this as an opportunity to continue reading.

**~"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broke her leg. She can't take her." She jerked her head in Dorea's direction.~**

"She does have a name, you know." Ginny said. Luna smiled.

"I believe they've been infested with wrackspurts. They make your mind all fuzzy and raises the difficulty you have for thinking. Usually you can swat them away, but Dementor attacks suck all wrackspurts out of a person's mind and make things clear for them." she said. Dorea blinked, wondering what Luna meant by that. Dementor attack...?

Dudley, on the other hand, flushed and looked down. So the blonde fre-girl knew that he was already regretting how he behaved as a child?

**~Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Dorea's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Dorea was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away.~**

"Now now, Dorea, please be polite." Dumbledore said, not entirely looking at her. Dorea felt a pang of frustration go through her. So Dumbledore could talk to her, but barely even look at her?

"I didn't know she was your friend then!" she said. "And wouldn't she report that I looked unhealthy?" she asked. Dumbledore looked down.

"She said that you were bullied by your cousin and that was it." he replied. McGonagall's mind whirled. Arabella Figg held grudges against magical children, perhaps she held her tongue about the abuse on purpose?

**~Dorea hated it there. The whole house smelt of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made her look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.~**

"You never did like cats." Lily pouted, much to Sirius' and James' amusement.

"Yeah, you were always more of a dog person. Whenever Minnie("_MISTER POTTER!_") came over and turned into her tabby form, you would always yank on her tail and ears. She learnt pretty quickly that you aren't that fond of cats." James explained. Dorea blinked.

"But I like Crookshanks just fine!" she said. Luna spoke up again.

"I believe your Animagus form might be a silver tigress, they're a magical breed of tigers that hate all other cats except Kneazles." she said. "They're also very fond of fire, seeing as they can breathe it out on occasion. Usually when they're protecting their cubs, though." Charlie and Hagrid nodded enthusiastically, while Sirius, James, and Remus gawked at her. Magical animagus forms were extremely rare, and trust them, they knew!

**~"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Dorea like she had planned this.~**

"Caught me!" Dorea said, throwing her hands up in the air. Michaela grinned.

"Aw, you decided to take the blame for me- oops..." she said, blushing. Dorea, the rest of the misfit gang, and the Dursleys gawked at her.

"You broke her leg? How?" Dorea asked, not even registering that Michaela intentionally hurt Figg. Michaela gave a sly smile.

"Well, I knew that you hated it there, so she she was crossing my lawn I sorta made her... Trip..." she said, rubbing the back of her head. she turned back to the book in order to keep from answering more questions.

**~Dorea knew she ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when she reminded herself that it would be a whole year before she had to look at Tibbles, Snow, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.~**

"Those... Are horrible names for pets." James said, blinking. Hermione looked repulsed, nodding in agreement at the horrible names. How could someone name their pet that?

**~"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the girl."~**

"That feelings are mutual." Dorea sneered at the whale of a woman, resting her head on Bill's chest. Charlie couldn't help but notice Dorea and Bill both looked a little flushed at the action. Did they like each other?

**~The Dursleys often spoke about Dorea like this, as though she wasn't there - or rather, as though she was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.~**

"You sure don't look like a slug." Dante huffed, glaring at the Dursleys for how they treated his somewhat-friend at home. What hurt him the most, though, was that none of them saw it. How could they not, when they all endured similar treatment from their own families for what they were?

**~"What about what's-her-name, your friend -Yvonna?"~**

"Ugh, you're still friends with that bitch?" Lily asked. Hannah Abbott from the Hufflepuff table narrowed her eyes.

"Don't insult my mum!" she shouted. Lily blinked, then flushed.

"Sorry, she was a right _bitch_ when we were teenagers." she said, rubbing the back of her head. Hannah calmed down, remembering that Lily Potter hadn't seen her mum since her teenage years, which Yvonne Abbott admitted to being a total bitch during.

"It's alright." Hannah said, also flushing a bit. Petunia looked shocked that her good friend had a freak for a daughter.

**~"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Dorea put in hopefully (she'd be able to watch what she wanted on television for a change and maybe have a go on Dudley's computer).~**

Petunia sneered at the idea. As if she would let the freak touch her darling Dudley's toys!

**~Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.~**

Bill snarled.

"She's not gonna blow up the house!" he spat. Suddenly, the entirety of the Gryffindor House snickered.

"Nah, that's Seamus' job." Dean teased his best mate. Seamus 'OI!'ed, making most of the Lion's House burst into laughter.

**~"I won't blow up the house,"~**

Charlie wolf whistled at Bill and Dorea, who kicked his shins and punched his gut, respectively. Doubled over wheezing, Charlie managed to glare at the blushing faces. He smirked when he saw that Bill had a firm hold on Dorea's waist. _Oh yeah, they like each other, but did they know it yet...?_

**~said Dorea, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take her to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave her in the car..."~**

"THAT'S ILLEGAL!" all the muggleborns shouted, glaring daggers at the Dursleys. They couldn't believe how horrible they had treated Dorea Potter, an innocent child! And their own family, too!

**~"That car's new; she's not sitting in it alone..."~**

"YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT THE CAR?!" Cat shrieked, clenching her fists. Control, control, control... You almost blew it when you maimed the whalette's leg, you can't blow it... Not after them...

**~Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact he wasn't really crying -it had been years since he'd really cried- but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.~**

Petunia looked shocked at the idea of her son using her like that, but brushed it off right away. No, no, her precious Dudleykins would never do something as horrible as that.

**~"Dinky Duddydums,~**

Every student in the Hall burst into hysterical laughter at the horrible nickname. James, Sirius, Lily, Arthur, Bill and Charlie were all rolling on the floor, holding their sides. The misfist gang and Dorea, however, had grown up hearing Dudley being called these nicknames, and just simply chuckled.

"Oh Lordy, I haven't heard that nickname in a while!" Dante chuckled, grinning at the sight of Dudley's flushing face. The Dursleys, however, were all flushed in humiliation. Petunia glared at everything that moved, her nicknames were adorable! Vernon and Marge were glaring at everyone that laughed simply because their laughter was directed towards Petunia and Dudley. Stupid freaks! Dudley, however, was flushed at the thought that these people were all laughing at him, and there was nothing that he or his family could do about it. He had never been in a position like this before, is used to be whoever laughed at him he would beat the snot out of, but now... It was just so... Different.

**~don't cry, Mummy~**

"Jeez, how old do you think he is? 5?" Sierra and Michaela said simultaneously. They then looked at each other, grinning.

**~won't let her spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.~**

"_THEY FIT?!_" both sets of Twins shouted, looking at the Dursleys in shock. Petunia glared at the redheaded sets of twins, while Dudley flushed a darker red. He wasn't that large... Was he?

**~"I...don't...want...her...t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "She always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Dorea a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.~**

"You snot nosed brat!" Lily shouted, glaring at her nephew. "How the bloody hell you're my relative I don't know - oh wait! Petunia," Here, Petunia Dursley flinched slightly. Lily had always called her Tuney, no matter horribly she had been treated by her older sister. The lack of nickname was... Cold. "And her whale of a husband decided to spoil you _rotten_!" Lily screamed, making Marge shoot out of her seat and start screaming incoherently at Lily. Everyone turned to Dorea for a translation, who flushed and shook her head.

"You really don't wanna know what she's saying..."

**~Just then, the door bell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.~**

The Marauders and Trio glowered at the mention of rats. Wormtail...

**~He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them, but for Dorea he always tried to steal a kiss as well.~**

"Merlin, that's _disgusting_!" Bill said, hugging Dorea tighter to his chest. He didn't notice that Dorea flushed at the action. Charlie smirked knowingly. Oh yeah, Dorea definitely liked Bill, that was a guarantee.

**~Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Dorea, who couldn't believe her luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in her life.~**

"Wasn't the first time! The first time we went with the Weasleys - Bill carried you around on his shoulders all day." Lily said, earning blushes from the mentioned pair. She then turned to Molly. "Do you still have the photos?"

Molly nodded, smiling. "Yes, and all of them up until early October, 1981." she said. Suddenly, a stomach rumbling caught everyone's attention. Everyone turned to Ron, who flushed a bright pink.

"Uh, do you think we could eat now?" Ron asked. As soon as he asked that, breakfast appeared on the tables. For the groups on the couches, there was a giant round table for the magical group to eat at, while the Dursleys had a much smaller, square table - with less food as well. Michaela ate as she read, somehow doing both without sounding completely disgusting.

**~Her aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with her, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Dorea aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Dorea's, "I'm warning you, now, girl - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."~**

Growls could be heard, coming from Remus, whose eyes were turning amber. Mooney was very angry at the threats towards his cub.

**~"I'm not going to do anything," said Dorea, "Honestly..."**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe her. No one ever did.~**

Dorea looked down at her plate of food. No one still believed her, no one but Dumbledore... But Dumbledore was so distant lately, like he was purposely avoiding her...

**~The problem was,~**

Here Michaela paused to take a great gulp of water.

**~strange things often happened around Dorea and it was just no good telling the Dursleys she didn't make them happen.~**

"Consciously, you didn't. Your magic needs exercise while it's growing and settling before you go to Hogwarts, and as such, Accidental Magic is the norm." Dumbledore began to explain. "Those who don't who signs of accidental magic, but are still accepted to Hogwarts, are exercising their magic in different way - such as growing and nurturing plants, pets, or other such things." Here, Neville looked up from his eggs, shocked. His magic was being exercised with his plants while growing up, he _hadn't_ almost been a Squib?

**~Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Dorea coming back from the salon looking as though she hadn't been at all,~**

"Isn't that normal for girls, though?" Charlie asked, his fork paused in the air mid-way to his mouth. Dorea shook her head.

"Nah, she kept trying to get them to cut my hair to a boy's cut. The hairdresser wouldn't, though. She kept saying something about my hair being so amazing that she couldn't bring herself to cut it." Dorea shrugged. Bill flushed as he glanced at her hair, it was shiny, it looked so silky and soft, and it smelt like strawberries...

**~had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut her waist length hair so short she was almost bald except for her bangs, which she had left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Dorea, who spent a sleepless night imagining the next day, where she was already laughed at by all but 5 kids in her class for her baggy clothes and taped glasses.~**

The misfit gang smiled happily at the mention, however brief it was. Petunia felt herself shrinking in between Vernon and Marge, trying to hide from the glares being sent to her from the Gryffindor table.

"You just can't beat the Potter hair!" James shouted. Sirius chuckled.

"Yeah, didn't Auntie Dorie always try about a million different potions on your hair in order to attempt taming it?" he asked. James grinned.

"Yeah, but it looks like only length can tame it." Lily commented, pointing to Dorea. Said girl just smiled and waved at her parents.

**~Next morning, however, she had gotten up to find her hair exactly the same it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.~**

James and Dorea looked rather smug at that fact.

**~She had been given a week in her cupboard for this, only allowed out for chores and school, even though she had tied to explain that she couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.~**

"Why were you only let out for school and chores? I expected them to lock you in there _24/7_." Bill ground out, glaring icily at the Dursleys. Dorea shrugged.

"These five," she pointed to the misfit gang, "Would've noticed if I disappeared for a week and then came back after the weekend like nothing happened. Add in the fact that Michaela's my neighbour, and her mum would love any dish on Petunia, ad you've got a recipe for disaster. For their reputations, at least."

**~Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force her into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puffballs) -~**

"I gained weight just to get rid of that thing." Dudley muttered, not realising the appraising looks he was getting for not saying something rude or impolite. "Sorry 'bout mum trying to make you wear it, though." he murmured, quietly enough so that no one heard him.

**~The harder and harder she tried to pull it over her head, the smaller and smaller it seemed to become, until it might have fit a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Dorea. Aunt Petunia had decided that it must have shrunken in the wash and, to Dorea's great relief, she wasn't punished.~**

"You would punish her for _shrinking_ _a_ _sweater_?" Malfoy asked in disbelief. He knew he had to apologize for how he had been treating Dorea all these years, the stories he had grown up with... It was just, Dorea was nothing like any of them had expected.

**~On the other hand, she'd gotten into trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.~**

Many people whistled appreciatively. Gred and Forge stared at Dorea is shock - how did she get up there?

**~Dudley's gang had been chasing her as usual when, as much to Dorea's surprise as anyone else's, there she was, sitting on the roof.~**

Silence. Then an explosion of applause.

"YOU ACCIDENTALLY APPARATED?!" many people screamed in awe, while the Weasleys were capturing Dorea in a giant group hug. Dorea couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm, they were... proud of what she did.

**~The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Dorea's headmistress telling them them that Dorea had been climbing school buildings. But all she'd tried to do (as she shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of the cupboard)~**

"They _locked_ _you_ _in_ _the_ _cupboard_?" Charlie growled, glaring at the muggle family. The whale- Vernon -glared right back.

**~-was jump behind the big trash bins outside the kitchen doors. Dorea supposed that the wind must have caught her in mid-jump.~**

"I don't know what's more saddening, that excuse, or the fact that you came up with that excuse because of how tiny you were." Fabien said, shaking his head sadly. McGonagall, however, was screaming at Dumbledore over the fact that she was shouting through a locked cupboard door.

**~But today, nothing was going to go wrong.~**

"Ah, Rea, you jinxed it!" Ron whined, face palming and stealing Dorea's nickname. Dorea flushed as Hermione and Neville burst into laughter, both nodding in agreement.

**~It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, her cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.~**

Suddenly the atmosphere tensed as everyone thought of how horrible it was for Dorea to consider that cupboard hers. No one should have to think like that...

**~While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things people at work, Dorea, the council, Dorea, the bank, and Dorea were just a few of his favourite subjects.~**

"Uh, I think you forgot about Dorea. See, her name is... Right _there_!" Dan said, leaning over and pointing out a random word in the book. Dorea smiled as Michaela whacked Dan over the head with said book.

**~This morning, it was motorcycles.~**

"What's wrong with motorcycles?" Sirius asked, pouting. Remus shook his head.

"Well, for one, not everyone's obsessed with them like you are." he said.

Umbridge, on the other hand, was fingering her wand, glaring at Sirius. _Just a few more minutes... Then I can curse him... Just a few more minutes..._

**~"...roaring along like manias, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

**"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Dorea, remembering suddenly. "It was flying, and there was a boy in it, too."~**

Groans rang throughout the Hall as people slammed their heads against the tables in front of them.

**~Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front.~**

"Over exaggeration much?"

Cat frowned.

"So that's why we nearly got in a car crash that day?" she asked, remembering how she, her parents, and her older brothers had nearly crashed because of the idiots behind them.

**~He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Dorea, his face like a giant beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"~**

"MINE DOES!" WHACK! "Ow, _Lilyyyy_!"

"SHUT IT, BLACK!"

**~"I know they don't," said Dorea. "It was only a dream."~**

"Memory~." Bill said, holding Dorea close to him as she finished off her meal. He missed Charlie's knowing look.

**~But she wished she hadn't said anything. If there was one more thing the Dursleys hated even more that her asking questions, it was her talking about anything acting in a way that it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or a cartoon - they seemed to think she might get dangerous ideas.~**

"Nah, she-" Ron was cut off by Dorea waving her hand in front of her neck. Then he saw his mother's face.

"She what, Ronald?" Molly asked, her voice laced with anger. Ron flinched slightly, and looked back at his best friend in his older brother's lap.

"Uh... She already has enough trouble in Potions for those ideas?" he suggested. Molly looked suspiciously at her youngest son, but brushed it off.

**~It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady on the van had asked Dorea what she wanted before they could hurry her away, they bought her a cheap lemon ice pop.~**

"It was really good, though!" Dorea said, licking her lips at the memory. She turned to McGonagall. "Maybe the trolley in the Hogwarts Express could sell some muggle treats, to help get the muggleborns and muggle-raised feel more welcome?" she suggested. McGonagall nodded, smiling.

"I'll get right on it." she replied, writing the suggestion down. Bill looked at the girl in his arms.

"You like anything lemon flavoured, don't you?" he asked, making Dorea nodded enthusiastically.

**~It wasn't bad, either, Dorea thought, licking away at it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head, who looked remarkably like Dudley, except it wasn't blonde.~**

"Good one!" the Marauders howled as they laughed. Luna, however, frowned.

"Dorea, don't insult the gorilla!"

At that comment, the Dursleys flushed bright red/purple, while the rest of the Hall laughed.

**~Dorea had the best of mornings she'd had in a long time. she was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting the get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back into their favourite hobbies of hitting her and trying to kiss her. They are in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker Glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Dorea was allowed to finished the first.~**

Dudley looked at his folded hands. It really hadn't been all that good after he got to it - it had mostly been melted and gross, but Dorea had ate it without complaint. Had... Had he really been that horrible towards Dorea when they were kids?

**~Dorea felt, afterwards, that she should have known that it was all too good to last.~**

Lily sighed. Poor Dorea...

**~After lunch, they went to the reptile house.~**

Dorea paled and snuggled into Bill's chest at the mention. Her parents were about to find out she was a Parselmouth... _**(A/N: This fact annoys me when people get it wrong - PARSELTONGUE is the LANGUAGE, PARSELMOUTH is the PERSON THAT CAN SPEAK PARSELTONGUE)**_

**~It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood.~**

"Aw..." all the pranksters said sadly. James sniffled.

"It would have been an amazing sight, though!" he wailed, only to be bonked over the head by his wife.

**~In fact, it was fast asleep.~**

Dorea paled. It hadn't been so asleep, after all...

**~Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.~**

"Oh, ew." Ginny said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of Dudley's face.

**~"Make it mose," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley odered. Uncle Vernon rapped glass smartly, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Dorea moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it died of boredom itself - no company except for stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least she got to visit the rest of the house.~**

"You're comparing your life to a snake's?" Blaise Zabini asked. Dorea smiled.

"It was a very polite snake." she said, earning odd looks from all those who didn't know, for a fact, that she was a Parselmouth.

**~The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on level with Dorea's.**

**It winked.~**

"Uh, wait, what?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side, confused. James, on the other hand, was grinning at his daughter. _Was she...?_

**~Dorea stared. Then she looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. She looked back at the snake and winked, too.~**

"YOU _ARE_!" James shouted, glomping his daughter. "I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, NO ONE IN THE POTTER FAMILY'S BEEN ONE FOR OVER _100_ _YEARS_!" he shouted, and Dorea calmed. It her dad was happy that she was a Parselmouth, then the talent wasn't so bad, was it?

**~The snake jerked its head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, and raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Dorea a look at said quite plainly: "I get that all the time."**

**"I know, Dorea murmured through the glass, though she wasn't sure the snake could hear her. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.~**

"YOU ARE A PARSELMOUTH!" Umbridge shouted. James gave her a blank look.

"Did you not hear the Potter Family history lesson? Tentigo Potter married Celeste Slytherin, and their son married Abigail Gryffindor. We have the blood of two of the Founders running through our veins. Not to mention she's a first Potter in over 100 years that is a Parselmouth." James said, earning dropped jaws from around the room. And since back in the Founder's time, girls weren't really considered for continuing a family line, Dorea is more of the side branch for the Slytherin family tree, not the Heiress.

Michaela, who didn't understand the oddity of being a Parselmouth, just continued reading through the awkward silence.

**~"Where did you come from, anyway?" Dorea asked.**

**"The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Dorea peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again, and Dorea read on: This specimen was bred in captivity.**

**"Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"~**

"You're having a conversation with a snake... About Brazil..." Bill said slowly. Dorea nodded, fiddlin with her thumbs.

"That's not bad... Is it?" she asked. Charlie grinned and shook his head.

"We would only think it bad if you were talking about eating someone alive, chici." Charlie said. Dorea smiled at the man she saw as an older brother, then relaxed in Bill's grip. His chest was actually really comfy...

**~As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Dorea made both of them jump.**

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"~**

"Rat..." the Trio, Marauders, and Lily all hissed at the book. Michaela suddenly felt like she should fear for her life.

**~Dudley came waddling up towards them as fast as he could.~**

"What are you, a penguin?" Dan asked in disbelief. Dudley flushed in embarrassment.

**~Out of the way, you," he said, punching Dorea in the ribs.~**

Growls could be heard from the circle-couch.

**~Caught by surprise, Dorea fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast that no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.~**

"Huh?" several students asked, sending the book confused looks.

**~Dorea sat up and gasped, the glass front of the boa constricotr's tank had vanished.~**

"Mi-Lady Potter, why is you can't do that in class?" McGonagall asked. Dorea shrugged.

"Get me a snake, some glass, and motivation and I'll probably be able to do it." she replied.

**~The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out and onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly pasther, Dorea cold have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo..."~**

"It really _was_ polite..." Bill said, dumbfounded. He had never really liked snakes, they had a huge problem with them in Egyptian tombs, and that just confirmed his decisions in his hatred towards snakes. Tonks, on the other hand, was excited.

"THAT WAS MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT AS AN AUROR!" she squealed, earning chuckles from those who knew the metamorphmagus.

**~The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "Where did it go?"~**

"Into non-being, which is to say, everything." Luna said with a mystical tone. McGonagall smiled at the odd fourth year.

"Well said, Miss Lovegood. 10 points for Ravenclaw."

**~The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Dorea had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten his leg off, while Piers was it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worse of all, for Dorea at least, was Piers calming dwn enough to say, "Drea was talking to it, weren't you, Dorea?"~**

"BASTARD! HOW _DARE_ YOU TRY AND GET MY BABY GIRL IN TROUBLE!" Lily shouted at the sky. Dudley and Petunia suddenly shrunk into their seats, remembering all the mistreatments after that incident...

**~Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before staring on Dorea. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed into a chair and had to run and get him a large brandy.~**

"YOU _STARVED_ _HER_?!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked. She turned her gaze to Dorea, who flinched. "Miss- er, _Lady_ Potter, once this chapter is over you are coming with me to get a full check up. If my suspicions are correct," she turned her glare over to the Dursleys. "Then they will be arrested by the muggle authorities for child abuse and child endangerment. And, _if I'm correct_, inmates in muggle prisons don't take _kindly_ to child abusers."

The Dursleys all gulped.

Molly, on the other hand, felt horrible. _They had starved Dorea, and she didn't believe her sons..._

**~Dorea lay in her dark cupboard much later, wishing she had a watch. She didn't know what time it was, and she couldn't be sure until the Dursleys were asleep. Until they were, she couldn't risk sneaking into the kitchen for some food.~**

At this mention, Charlie and Bill put a platter of fruit in front of Dorea, insisting that she ate it all. Dorea pouted, but complied. She really enjoyed fruits and vegetables, she didn't have the chance to eat them all that often as a kid.

**~She'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years now, ten miserable years, ever since she'd been a baby and her parents died in that car crash. She coudn't remember being in the car when her parents had died. Sometimes, when she strained her memory during the long hours in her cupboard, she came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light, and a burning pain on her forehead.~**

"Oh, sweetheart..." Lily, said, looking at her daughter sadly. She shouldn't have to remember that night at all...

**~This, she supposed, was the crash, though she couldn't imagine where all the green light had come from.~**

"Because there was no crash, it was a spell that kills, the only sign of it being used is that there is no reason for the person to have dropped dead - they're in perfect health, minus the fact that they're dead." Lily explained. Petunia, Vernon, Marge, and Dudley all gasped at the thought. To kill that easily...?

**~She couldn't remember her parents at all. Her aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course she was forbidden to ask questions.**

**There were no photographs of the in the house.~**

"You didn't even know what we looked like?" James asked, horrified. Dorea shook her head.

"Not until that Christmas." she muttered, her voice thick. The Mirror or Erised replayed itself in her mind, but she didn't need it now. Her parents were right in front of her, speaking to her.

**~When she was younger, Dorea dreamed about some unknown relation coming to take her away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were her only family.~**

"Bill didn't know where you were, otherwise he would've taken you away with him to Egypt in a heartbeat." Charlie teased, making Bill flick his ear.

"Like you wouldn't take her away to Romania if you knew where she was!" he retorted. Charlie flushed - yeah, that was true.

**~Yet sometimes she thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers on the street seemed to know her.**

**Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to her while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley.~**

"Mister Diggle is such a strange man." Dorea said thoughtfully. Dan shook his head sadly.

"I thought we had taught Uncle Dedalus better than to dress like that." he said mournfully. Michaela stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture which he replied to in kind.

**~After walloping Dorea over the head with her purse, and asking her furiously if she had known the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them from the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily to her once on a bus.~**

"And none of them stopped to check up on your _health_?" Lily growled. Fudge looked appalled at the idea of the Dorea Potter having been abused, and no one noticing it.

**~A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken her hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word.~**

Dorea grinned at Kingsley, who blushed.

"Yeah, he walked away without a word, didn't he, _Kingsley_?" Dorea asked, loud enough for people to hear her from the opposite side of the room. Everyone who knew about the Order burst out laughing at Kingsley, they had never suspected that he would've done something like that!

**~The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Dorea tried to get a closer look.~**

"I'm sorry about that, Dorea, but it would have been suspicious to my supervisors if anyone had seen me shaking hands with you." Kingsley said, looking at his lap. Dorea waved her hand in his direction.

"Nah, it's alright. It really doesn't bother me anymore when people Apparrate away without another word." she said. Kingsley flushed a bright red at the mention.

**~At school, Dorea only had a few somewhat-friends(they hung around together and talked, but she didn't call them friends in order to keep Dudley away from them), but other than that, she had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Dorea Potter in her baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.~**

Michaela marked the page and put the book down.

"That's the end of the chapter!" she called out. Madam Pomphrey stood up, and walked out. Dorea froze, looking up at Bill and Charlie.

"I don't wanna go..." she muttered. The oldest Weasley boys shared a look. Charlie grabbed Dorea, Bill stood up, and then threw Dorea over his shoulder. Dorea went kicking, punching, and screaming out the Hall, earning strange looks from everyone. Ron and Hermione, however, were snickering at their friend's bad luck.

"What's so funny?" Fabien and Gideon asked, looking at the two fifth years srangely. Ron grinned.

"Oh, she just doesn't want to go because, after last year, Madam Pomfrey swore the next time she was in there she was getting a plague that would claim Dorea's bed her own." Ron snorted, beginning the first of gales of laughter that would last until Dorea, Bill, and Madam Pomfrey would come back to read the next chapter.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

_**Word count: 11,426**_

_**I am somewhat ashamed to say that this is quickly becoming my most reviewed story. So far that prize goes to my Naruto fanfic, with 18 reviews. 14 reviews on the first chapter... **_

_**This chapter isn't as long as the first one simply because this one was pretty much pure chapter. The next chapter will begin with the check-up, then go into the chapter. The two new people will probably be coming in during the beginning of the fourth chapter - and there's some Bill/Dorea bonding next chapter! Mainly Bill trying to get Dorea to talk about how the Dursleys treated her, but otherwise it's just them getting to know each other.**_

_**Dorea will also begin reading the Grimoire during the checkup, so she begins to understand the wizarding world some more!**_


	3. Book 1: Chapter 3

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC**

**Aaaaand I started writing this chapter the day chapter 2 came out. I added the Abused!Harry warning because I needed a reason for Madam Pomfrey to leave Bill and Dorea so they can talk in private, and let's face it, it's kinda canon. I mean, who would have their nephew(in this fanfic, niece) living under their cupboard stairs since they were 15 months old and not have to call it abuse or neglect?**

**About the CharliexOC: I love Charlie's character, but he's barely mentioned in the stories, let alone gets any romance. _THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!_**

**Note: there will be a bit of everyone bashing, since everyone is gonna point out things in canon that readers might have missed.**

**Note 2: Michaela will be talking more this chapter simply because she's Dorea's neighbor, she's likely to ask questions since she knows Dorea's homelife with the Dursleys better than most.**

**And I will explain most of my spelling errors right now: when I type, first off, I can't look at the computer screen while I type out a chapter or I can't think. Second off, I type mainly with my index and middle fingers. This means my hands are dancing around the keyboard and it gets difficult to see what spelling errors I have made - and I have gone back to typing out the chapters by hand. There are points where I miss a name change or something similar, so yeah. And I apologise for the Yvonna/Yvonne issue, apparently spellcheck recognises Yvonna as a name - funny, it doesn't do that for Michaela.**

**And at the moment, Bill is writing off his feelings towards Dorea as she's family, that his brothers feel the same way towards her. Pretty much, until they get together, he'll be in denial.**

**And I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar errors.**

**~O~O~O~**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**griffindork93: The Grimoire isn't gonna actually be written out, but when Dorea goes to read it I'll write out what the general thing she's reading is. I apologize again for that mistake, I must have read this chapter over at least 20 different times in order to catch all those sorts of mistakes. That's also one of the things that bothers me about JKR - she would mentions a character and barely have anything on them. I plan to expand on those barely mentioned characters like Charlie, Kingsley, Zabini, Nott, the Greengrass sisters, and Davis. I've read a ton of stories involving the 'Potter curse', so I thought why not make it an actual curse? Make the Potter History much more interesting that way. Finally, I'm gonna make the Potter family traditional Gray. They fight for what's right, it just so happens the right side of both wars lately was the Light side. James is gonna tutor Dorea in actual wizarding history, not the goblin wards that Binns babbles on about. Because of the fact that someone cannot by good just because they're Light, means that James, while he used to be prejudiced that Slytherins were Dark, did not mean he believed that all of them were evil - which is why he is much more accepting towards Sirius and Remus than Peter will have been.**

**Katzztar: Hannah knew that Lily was talking about her mum because, in this story, Yvonne told Hannah about how horrible she had been to her friend's sister, who was later killed fighting for what she believed in, leaving her daughter with Petunia. And FINALLY someone understand how much that pisses me off! It annoys me that people do things like that and get their facts totally wrong. About the Potter Hair - Dorea's hair is down to in between her waist and hips, and yeah, it's wavy, but when it was short it was full of cowlicks. The Curse is gonna be more powerful in male Potters - so girls born into the Potter family have calmer hair, better eyesight, but are still really attracted to redheads. The Curse will also be more powerful in firstborns, which will explain Lily Luna's appearance - no glasses, tame red hair.**

**Already responded to AddaBlack94... You can thank her for encouraging the CharliexOC story!**

**~O~O~O~**

**~text~** - book

"text" - speech

text - narrative

_text_ - thoughts or emphasis/exaggerations

_text_ - spells

text - latin

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

"BILL, PUT ME DOWN _RIGHT_ _NOW_!" Dorea screamed, her face going red from being upside down. Bill just shook his head as he continued walking behind Madam Pomfrey, his mind wandering. He was focusing on anything, on everything other than how abused Dorea might be.

The walk to the Hospital Wing was faster this way. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand so that the door would close behind the pair. She pointed at a bed with a different bedding than the other ones. Instead of being the same pure white as the rest of the beds, they were cream with gold trimming. Bill shook his head as he saw the newly hung plague over the headboard - it was ebony with gold plating. On that plating, was Dorea's name and a list of all the injuries she had been in that bed for - needless to say, the list of injuries was a good foot long already. Bill shook his head and placed her down. Needless to say, the tiny girl attempted to dart off before Madam Pomfrey could come back. Bill grabbed her, flipped her onto her back, and straddled her waist, pinning her hands above her head.

"Now, I'm about to sit on the edge of the bed. If you try to dart off again, I'll pin you down until Madam Pomfrey gets back. Understand?" he asked. Dorea blushed a bright, pretty pink and looked away, pouting. Bill grinned at her, knowing he had won. He was about to get off her when he heard someone behind him cough. His head whipped around to see a smirking Madam Pomfrey.

"Now, while I _don't_ mind you trying to keep Lady Potter from running away, I _do_ _mind _you flirting with my patients. _Or_ trying to get them in bed." Bill and Dorea both blushed bright, cherry reds as they realised exactly what it looked like they were doing. Bill practically shot off of Dorea, choosing to sit on the bed next to hers. Dorea sat up, adjusting her skirt to cover down to her knees(it had risen up to show most of her thighs), and suddenly Bill realised exactly why she didn't want to be held over his shoulder. She was wearing the school uniform. He felt a pang of protectiveness as he thought of the boys that might've tried to look up her skirt, and decided that he would beat the crap out of any guy that would do so. _It was because she was his baby sister, any other Weasley would do the exact same._

"Do we really have to go through this?" Dorea asked, adjusting her uniform. "And if we do, can I at least change into a comfier set of clothes?" Madam Pomfrey paused, thinking, and nodded.

"Yes, that's alright. DOBBY!" she shouted, and with a loud CRACK, the eccentric House Elf appeared. Today, Dobby was wearing some child's overalls, Ron's maroon sweater, both with several buttons pinned on the front. He was wearing one of Hermione's knitted hats on his head, and a pair of his own knitted socks on his feet. Bill blinked in surprise upon seeing the Elf, Dobby took care of his clothing so they were neat and clean, whereas any other Elf would've let them fall to ruins. Dobby took one look at Dorea and flocked to her side.

"Miss Dorea Potter! Miss Dorea Potter! What can Dobby do for yous, Miss Dorea Potter?" Dobby asked, making Madam Pomfrey and Bill gawk. He had completely ignored Madam Pomfrey, and instead went straight to Dorea? Dorea, however, smiled at her friend.

"Hey, Dobby. Do you mind grabbing me some clothes from my room? Grey sweatpants, a white tank top, and a black cardigan please?" she asked. Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, Dobby will get them for you, Miss Dorea Potter!" he said, and left with another CRACK. Dorea finally noticed that Bill and Madam Pomfrey were staring at her.

"It's at the end of the second book." she said as if that explained everything. Madam Pomfrey decided it would just be better if she didn't ask questions, while Bill pouted at the lack of information. "He's also involved in my fourth year, and a bit of this year, too." Dorea added in, after thinking for a moment. Suddenly, all three of them jumped as Dobby CRACKed in with the clothing Dorea requested in hand. To their surprise, he also had some black dance shoes on top.

"Miss Dorea Potter, I has got the clothing you wanted, but Winky decided that these shoes would go with them better than the uniform shoes!" he said, and with another CRACK, Winky was there. She was now wearing the Hogwarts uniform instead of the clothing Mr. Crouch had given her. Winky bowed to Dorea, Madam Pomfrey, and Bill before speaking.

"Miss Potter, it is a pleasure for Winky to sees yous again." she said, then plucked the clothes from Dobby's arms. "It is not proper for mens to sees Miss Potter changing, no it is not." she added, making Bill burn a bright red at the thought of watching Dorea change, and stayed silent as Madam Pomfrey closed the curtain around Dorea's bed so she could change in private. The curtains weren't the hospital regulation either, they were the same cream with gold lining as Dorea's bedding, and in addition there were the images of a Grim-like dog, a wolf, and a stag stitched into them. Bill could see from Dorea's shadow her changing. His blush deepened as he looked away from the curtains, only to see Dobby's grinning face.

"Yous is liking Miss Dorea Potter, aren't yous, Mister Wheezey?" he asked. Bill could feel his blush deepen even further at the thought.

"No, no - she's like a little sister to me, is all." Bill replied, trying to lighten his cheeks and ears of their blush. Dobby frowned at Bill's answer, obviously disappointed.

"That is too bad, Mister Wheezey... I is thinking yous and Miss Dorea Potter would be good for each other!" Dobby said brightly. Bill could only splutter at the thought until the curtain opened, revealing Dorea in the casual clothing she had requested. Bill's jaw dropped. The sweatpants hung from her body like normal pants rather than the baggy image that most people thought of when they pictured sweatpants, the tank top clung to her body like a second skin, and the cardigan had two longer parts in the front that hung down to just above her knees. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and the dance shoes just finished the outfit off with a more chic touch. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, her bangs pinned to cover her scar. Dorea had her lips pursed in distaste as she touched her glasses, and she turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"Would it be possible for me to get eye correcting potions? Glasses just get in the way..." she groaned, putting on the wire-frame glasses. Bill's eyes narrowed at the sight, her glasses just ruined the style she had been going for. Madam Pomfrey gave her a calculating look and nodded, writing it down on a separate, small piece of parchment. She then grabbed a large roll of parchement, and both the red headed 25 year old and the ravenette 15 year old's eyes widened in recognition. How many times have they seen those types of parchment rolls? Diagnosis Parchment, used in Healing. You first define the ages that you wish to designate the diagnosis between on the top of the page, then cast the Diagnosis Charm on the patient. The list of injuries and health poblems sustained between those two ages will appear on the parchment - green for treated, black for semi-treated or currently affecting, and red for currently affecting and never treated, and a mix of black and red was never treated but not currently affecting. Dorea gulped, and sat back down on her bed. Bill moved so he was on the chair next to her bed.

"Now, this may tingle a bit, depending on how bad the injuries were." Madam Pomfrey said, a required statement before the Diagnosis Charm was cast. Dorea nodded, and sat back as Madam Pomfrey cast the charm. "_Reperio Vulnus_." the mediwitch whispered, twirling her wand in a circle and then in a 'V' motion. The parchment flung open, and writing began to appear on it. Dorea's jaw dropped as the parchment kept growing and growing. Madam Pomfrey's face grew stonier and stonier as she watched more and more writing appear. At about 5 feet, the parchment stopped growing. Madam Pomfrey looked from the parchment to Dorea, whose face was pale.

"How bad?" she asked. Madam Pomfrey closed her eyes. Bill tensed - it was obvious it was really bad.

"It's a Merlin and Goddamn miracle that you're alive. By all rights, you should've died before you even turned 2." Madam Pomfrey said. Bill's face grew pale and ice cold, his eyes burning with pure anger and hatred towards the Dursleys. Madam Pomfrey gathered the parchment and left the Hospital Wing. Dorea was about to chase after her when Bill placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her down.

"Dorea, as you were given these injuries by your legal guardians, Madam Bones is required to know of this. It's Madam Pomfrey's job as a Healer and as Hogwarts' mediwitch to alert the Headmaster and the authorities as to what happened to you while you were in their care." Bill said gravely. Dorea gulped, blinking back tears. She felt so... So... So humiliated. Her life at the Dursleys was always her best kept secret, she had never even told Hermione and Ron how bad it had gotten. The books just barely brushed up against the abuse she faced, but that would mainly be because Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia rarely, if ever, laid a hand on Dorea. Physical abuse was the most recognised form of abuse, and as such, they left that to Dudley.

"I-I-" Dorea started, getting pulled into a hug by Bill.

"Why didn't you _tell_ _anyone_?" he whispered. Dorea blinked back the tears and shook her head.

"No one believed me..." she whispered back. Bill let go of her and cupped her face.

"It doesn't matter what you tell me, I'll believe it." he said, and kissed Dorea's forehead like he would any of his siblings. Dorea felt her face burn at the touch, she felt... Loved. It was strange, feeling this way from someone she wasn't related to. _But he only sees you as a little sister, Dorea..._ that pessimistic voice at the back of her head said. _No matter that you're now Lady Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell, a legal and magical adult... And if he did like you, he'd see himself as a dirty old man for chasing after someone ten years his younger._

_But does that really matter here?_ said another voice, a more optimistic voice. _Honestly, he just want you to open up about your past... It's a step towards getting close with him, isn't it?_ Dorea looked down at her lap, deciding that maybe she could tell him... The bare minimum.

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't like magic, so they were under the impression that if I was miserable and alone enough that my magic would vanish. When that didn't work, they started bribing Dudley to beat me, thinking that plus the earlier stuff would make my magic vanish. If anything," Dorea paused, gulping. "I think it just made my magic stronger..." Bill nodded in agreement.

"It might have, especially with how strong your magic was to begin with." he said. Dorea sent him a curious look. "Your first performance of accidental magic was you vanished the toy rat that your parents got you. I still don't know why they did that..." Bill said musingly, his eyes narrowed. Dorea sent him a mysterious smile.

"Third book." she said mystically. Bill's eye twitched, and he pounced on Dorea, tickling her sides mercilessly. Dorea shrieked and laughed hysterically, trying to get away from Bill.

Neither knew what was going on a few floors beneath them.

**~O~O~O~**

Everyone jumped when the doors to the Great Hall burst open, a very angry Poppy Pomfrey storming through and up towards the staff table. Dumbledore gulped, his face pale. This wasn't going to be good at all... Madam Pomfrey chucked the Diagnosis Scroll on the table in front of him, her eyes on fire.

"5 AND A HALF FEET OF RED AND BLACK!" she screamed, earning horrified gasps from everyone who knew what that meant - unsurprisingly, Hermione was one of them. Dumbledore started to look his age, his eyes wide with horror, regret, and sorrow. Umbridge and the Slytherins were, for once, horrified at what muggles were willing to do to a magical child. This was why muggles ought to be killed off! Amelia Bones, however, glared icily at the Dursleys.

"No, I don't think muggle prison is good enough for them," she started, making all three adults gulp nervously at her tone. Dudley just looked at him hands. He couldn't go, he wasn't an adult yet. In either world. "I believe that Azkaban is _just_ what they need."

The Dursleys felt as if someone had just read them their death sentences.

**~O~O~O~**

"Favourite colour?" Bill asked, biting into a treacle tart.

He and Dorea were currently playing Twenty Questions, in short, bonding over food - just like Dorea and Ron did four years prior.

"Sapphire blue." Dorea answered right away, wiping off some crumbs off from around her mouth. Dobby and Winky had brought them an assortment of desserts to eat while they wait for Madam Pomfrey to return. "Favourite band, muggle or magical?" she asked. Bill grinned.

"Witch's Brew, I've got some sound crystals here if you want to listen to them." Bill said, pointing to the satchel on the ground. Dorea nodded.

"That'd be nice." she replied, taking a bite out of a fudgy brownie.

"Hmmm... Latest crush?" Bill asked, getting whacked repeatedly over the head with Dorea's pillow as an answer. "Alright, alright, I was just kidding!" Bill laughed making the whacks stop. "Uh, how about... Least favourite food?"

"Liver." Dorea said with a wrinkled nose. "That stuff is just plain nasty." Bill nodded.

"I agree, I can't understand how people could eat that shi-stuff."

**~O~O~O~**

Madam Pomfrey turned her glare to Sirius.

"_Cast the Justice Spell_." she demanded. Sirius' eyes widened in shock at the demand, while Remus and James started spewing out incoherent words.

"B-But you told me to never cast that again!" Sirius said, his hand gripping his wand tightly. Maple and dragon heartstring, 12 1/2 inches. Madam Pomfrey gave him a look.

"No, I said to never cast that spell willy-nilly again. These people," she sneered at the word. "Deserve it." Sirius' eyes hardened as he looked at the Dursleys, who looked like they were fearing for their lives. So now, after all these years, they realise what consequences will become of their actions. Sirius nodded, standing up. Umbridge looked like she wanted to screech something, only to be silenced by Amelia Bones for good measure.

"_Quae induxisti super dolorem Dorea Lillian Violetta Potter_." Sirius said gravely. Lily's eyes widened at the words. _Feel the pain you have brought upon Dorea Lillian Violetta Potter..._ A bright white light flashed from Sirius' wand, and all four Dursleys screamed in pain. Petunia was clinging to her head and stomach, Vernon was holding the back of his neck, his stomach growling loudly, Marge was curled up in a ball, her hands on her shins, while Dudley was lying down on the settee, moaning in pain. He felt as though almost every bone in his body was breaking at once. Sirius' face was grim as he looked at the Dursleys. "That was a Justice Spell. Every moment Dorea has starved, you will starve. Every moment she has been in pain you will feel. Your clothing will appear normal on hangers and in drawers, but when you wear them you will see nothing better than what you forced her to wear. This spell will last for as long as you have mistreated Dorea. If you feel true regret halfway through that time the spell will wear off immediately. If you feel no regret, only pity for yourselves, the time the spell lasts will double. So Mote it done, so Mote it be." There was a bright flash of crimson as Sirius uttered those last words, and everyone gulped. He had just determined their punishment for, if the adults were correct, the next 14 years. Maybe less for Dudley.

Madam Pomfrey gathered up the Diagnosis Scroll, nodded at Sirius, and left the Hall. She had potions to distribute to a young Lady Potter. Before she left the Hall, however, she turned to the group staring at her.

"I suggest that the students go to their dorms and change into more comfortable clothing, this may take a while." she said, then left without another word. The students all looked up at Dumbledore, who dismissed them with a nod and a wave of the hand. As they were leaving, the students were whispering about what they had just read. Dorea Potter, abused? It was unthinkable, she was so strong, so tough, so brave...

Snape was sitting in his seat, stunned. His father had never even treated him so horribly, at least his father had given him some forms of treatment. The Dursleys hadn't even given that to Dorea. _No, she's still the Potter bitch, their treatment hasn't changed a thing..._ that nasty voice said, reassuring Snape that he was right about Dorea Potter. If he paid close attention, a small, Lily-like voice could be heard saying _But does that mean we were right to treat her that way...?_

**~O~O~O~**

Dorea and Bill stopped talking and looked as Madam Pomfrey swooped into the Hospital Wing, moving past the pair and to her office. Dorea gulped when she as the mediwitch's face, a sudden desire to dart out coming over her. She was caught, however, by Bill in the middle of her first step, his arms wrapped securely around her waist and pulling her into his lap. Dorea wriggled around a bit before giving up, crossing her arms around her chest and pouting up at Bill.

She didn't realise that Madam Pomfrey was watching the pair the entire time.

They really do suit each other, the mediwitch thought as she gathered more items and potions. Dorea is the shy, quiet, brave and reckless one; Bill is the loud, social, thoughtful and daring one. Add in that their colouring really complimented each other, and Madam Pomfrey was now determined to play matchmaker with these two.

Dorea couldn't help but groan at the sight of Madam Pomfrey wheeling out a cart full of medical equipment, potions, and books. The mediwitch smiled at Dorea, vanishing all traces of food from her bed.

"Now, you may want to lay down, since this will take a while..." Dorea sighed and grabbed the Grimoire. If this would take a while, she might as well start reading it. She opened it to the first page, and raised her eyebrow.

_Family Alliances...?_

**~O~O~O~ 2 HOURS LATER ~O~O~O~**

Everyone was sitting around the Great Hall, bored out of their minds. Seamus and Dean were playing a game of Exploding Snap, Ron and Charlie were talking about the latest in Quidditch, Fred and George were having a very insightful conversation with James, Sirius, Remus, Gideon and Fabian most of which involved pranks), Molly and Lily were discussing Dorea, Hermione was reading, Ginny and Luna were having a wonderful conversation about wrackspurts, nargles, blibbering humdingers and sentlargs - strange creatures with 4 legs, 6 arms, no eyes, and a very large nose that, apparently, could sniff out anything and everything in the world ("Daddy hoes to find one so we can find the Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks this coming summer, you see."), when they finally heard noise coming from outside the Hall.

"I'm telling you, I know I grew!"

"Dorea, you've barely grown an inch in height."

"_THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT_!"

The doors opened to reveal Bill, Dorea, and Madam Pomfrey. Dorea was no longer wearing her glasses, seeing as how the first potion Madam Pomfrey had given her was an eye correcting potion, and she was glaring at Bill, who held the door open for her, returning the glare. Madam Pomfrey moved to the staff table swiftly, while Dorea and Bill continued bickering to their seats. When they got to the round couch, Ginny(who was wearing a baby blue jumper, jeans, and trainers) looked pointedly at Dorea's chest.

"I don't know Bill, I'd say she grew a good cup size or two." she said bluntly. Bill spluttered, now realizing what Dorea meant by she grew. Charlie burst out laughing at his elder brother's bright red face, while James and Lily were spluttering at the idea of people staring at their baby girl's chest so openly. Bill sank down on the couch, Dorea plopping down next to him. She patted Bill's head, which was being held in his hands.

"I'm glad you didn't notice, actually, because then I'd be calling you a pervert!" Dora sang out, making Charlie, the Twins, Ron, and Ginny all fall over with bright red faces from laughter. Bill lifted his head long enough to stare at Dorea.

"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or not." he said. In truth, he had spent most of the two hours looking anywhere but Dorea's chest. She's your baby sister, she's your baby sister...

The moment was ruined by Umbridge clearing her throat.

"I believe that someone should start reading the next chapter?" she asked. Daphne Greengrass, a fifth year girl from Slytherin, slowly raised her hand.

"I'll read." she offered, and the book was levitated to her. She opened it thanks to the bookmarker, and read out the next chapter title.

**~Chapter Three - the Lettres from No One~** she read. Dorea suppressed a grin as she recalled those letters - they certainly made her life much more interesting.

"How can letters be from no one?" Sirius asked. James shrugged.

"I dunno." he replied. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, it's probably her Hogwarts letter!" she said. Upon the strange glances she was getting, she continued. "Muggle letters always have a return address - so that way the mail carriers, who are people as well, know where to return it should it not have evidence of being paid for."

**~The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Dorea her longest-ever punishment. By the time she was allowed out of her cupboard again, the summer holidays had started~**

"Is _that_ why I never saw you outside for those 3 weeks?" Michaela asked in horrified awe. Dorea nodded, and Michaela felt horrible. It had been right in front of her, and she had ignored the evidence of abuse...

On the other hand, the adults were fuming. Locked away in a cupboard for _3 weeks_?

**~and Dudley had already broken his new video camera,~**

"Which he blamed on me."

**~crashed his remote control airplane,~**

"Which he blamed on me."

**~and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.~**

"Which he claimed was an accident, that he lost control of the bike, which Uncle Vernon promptly blamed on me." Dorea said, looking at her nails. Charlie stared at the Dursleys in disgust.

"Can I introduce them to Norberta?" he asked quietly. Dorea looked at him oddly.

"Don't you mean Norbert?" she asked as a reply. Charlie shook her head.

"Norberta's a girl. So can I?" he begged, holding his clasped hands up in front of him, pouting and batting his eyelashes. Dorea just looked at him, disturbed by a muscular man like himself doing that.

"Uh, go ahead?"

**~Dorea was glad school was over,~**

The entire misfit gang let out whooping cheers, making the group they were sitting with laugh.

**~but there was almost no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. In fact, her only escape was her neighbor Michaela's house,~**

Michaela stood up on her seat and took an extravagant bow. Fred wolf whistled as she adjusted her shirt's neckline afterwards. Cat, who was sitting near the Twins, whacked him over the head and gave him a warning glare.

**~but she wasn't always allowed to go over there. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon, the members of Dudley's gang, were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.~**

"Uh, yeah, try to imagine Malfoy's gang with Goyle as the leader." Dorea said, making several Slytherins snicker and most of the Hall laugh. Malfoy glared at Dorea, while Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other. Did... Did everyone think they were _idiots_?

**~The rest of them were quite happy to join in on Dudley's favourite sport - Dorea Hunting.~**

"I'd like to do some Dudley Hunting." Bill growled, glaring at the Dursleys. Dorea had told him of how Vernon would bribe Dudley into beating Dorea until she passed out, usually with sweets and money, and it really pissed him off. He didn't know why, but he felt extremely protective of the petite girl.

**~This was why Dorea spent as much time as possible out of the house, either at Michaela's or wandering around the neighborhood and thinking~**

"That summer was actually really fun, up until your uncle went 'round the bend." Michaela said, making the rest of the gang nod. Dorea grinned, remembering the prank they pulled on Dudley - a cupcake covered with salt instead of sugar. Kind of immature, but Dudley hasn't touched a single cupcake since.

**~about the end of the holidays, where she could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came, she would be off to secondary school and, for the first time in her life, she wouldn't be with Dudley.~**

The misfit gang whooped, while most of hem went to private schools as well, their entire grade had thrown a party at Michaela's house for being rid of Dudley - and Dorea had actually made it.

**~Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.~**

"Oh, ew, that name is horrible!" Pansy Parkinson said, wrinkling her nose delicately. Malfoy rolled his eyes, just because it was a horrible name didn't mean Parkinson had to say it, they all knew it was a bad name.

**~To Dorea's great relief, Piers Polkiss was going there as well. Dorea, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school.~**

"So your son gets to go to an exclusive private school, using Dorea's stipend, probably, while my daughter gets shoved off to the cheapest school you can find?" Lily ground out. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"They even ignored the fact that I had been offered a scholarship to Sevenoaks School." Dorea offered. All muggleborns looked at her, their jaws dropping to the floor.

"But that's one of the _best schools_ in the _UK_!" Hermione said, making the jaws of the rest of the Hall drop. Dorea Potter had been offered to go to one of the best muggle schools in the UK? Dorea just shrugged.

"I'm going to Hogwarts, aren't I?" she asked, making all jaws get picked up off the ground. She had a point - Hogwarts was _the_ _best_ magical school in the UK. Daphne took this opportunity to continue reading.

**~Dudley thought this was very funny.~**

"Brat."

"Prat."

"Bastard."

"_WILLIAM WEASLEY_!"

"What I do?"

**~"They shove people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he stole Dorea. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**"No thanks," said Dorea. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick."~**

That comment made the Hall burst into laughter, while several purebloods scowled at the thought of having their head shoved down a toilet. That was just -just _revolting_.

**~Then she ran before Dudley could work out what she'd said.~**

"That's a rather Slytherin move, Potter." Daphne said, making Blaise, Theodore, and Tracey Davis nod in agreement. Dorea shrugged.

"It'll be explained in the next few chapters anyway, so I won't bother now." she made it look like she didn't care, but mentally she was panicking. How would her parents, Sirius, Remus, and the Weasleys react to finding out that she was almost placed in Slytherin?

**~One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Dorea at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before.~**

"EVIDENCE!" Sirius shouted, making everyone look at him. James just waved it off.

"It's nothing. He just has a vendetta against cats, you can ignore him. I know I do all the time."

"_OI_! I'M _RIGHT_ _HERE_, YOU KNOW!"

"Yeah, I know."

"... Arsehole."

**~She let Dorea watch television and gave her a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for years.~**

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Remus, Michaela, and Sierra all wailed. Dorea was the one to answer the unspoken question of _'wtf?'_ this time.

"They're chocoholics." she said simply, explaining everything.

**~That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats,~**

Serious gagging.

**~orange knickerbockers,~**

Fashionistas throughout the Hall looked ill at the thought. Lavender Brown's face turned a pale green at the thought - those two colours did _not_ go well together on just anyone! And who wore knickerbockers these days, _anyway_?

**~and flat straw hats called boaters.~**

"And I will never complain about the Hogwarts uniform again." Daphne added, earning nods of agreement from every single Hogwarts student in the Hall. Michaela wrinkled her nose.

"It was worse, because he walked around in it _every_ _day_." she said. She earned pitiful looks from the Weasleys.

**~They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be training for later in life.~**

"So they're training abusers?" Sprout asked, raising an eyebrow. Dorea shrugged halfheartedly, playing with the ends of her cardigan.

"I guess so, I never put much thought into it." Dorea replied, her face still somewhat pale. Bill placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Charlie smiled at his older brother, he may not realise his feelings, but he honestly cared for Dorea either way.

**~As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers Uncle Vernon said gruffly that this was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,~**

The Twins burst into laughter.

"That's a-"

"-Really horrible-"

"-Nickname!" they said. Dorea smiled angelically.

"Kinda reminds you of Ickle Ronniekins, doesn't it?" she asked pleasantly. Both boys looked horrified, and turned to Ron.

"We're so sorry-"

"-That we ever-"

"-Called you by-"

"-That awful nickname."

"And we'll never-"

"-Do it again." Ron blinked in surprise.

"Uh, thanks?"

**~he looked so handsome~**

Snorts sounded throughout the room. Dudley blushed at everyone's reactions. His uniform really wasn't _that_ bad... Was it?

**~and grown-up. Dorea didn't trust herself to speak. She thought two of her ribs might have cracked from trying not to laugh.~**

"Which you did." Madam Pomfrey huffed, crossing her arms. Well, that explained while they were only cracked instead of broken, like most of the bones in her body.

**~There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Dorea went in for breakfast.~**

"You didn't have to cook this time?" Hermione asked, glaring at the Dursleys.

"Nope, didn't have to for a week. They were so happy with Dudley they were in a really good mood for a week." Dorea explained. Michaela nodded in agreement, verifying Dorea's statement.

**~It seemed to be coming from a large tub in the sink. She went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

**"What's this?" she asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did is she dared to ask a question.~**

"How horrible!" Flitwick squeaked, glaring at Petunia. Dorea was, in all honesty, his favourite student. She understood charms like the back of her hand.

**~"Your new school uniform," she began.**

**Dorea looked in the bowl again.**

**"Oh," she said, "I didn't realise it had to be so wet."~**

"Sarcasm doesn't work on Petunia, sweetheart." Lily said kindly, her head nuzzled into James' neck. She already knew the extent of Dorea's abuse, she just wanted to get to Hogwarts already.

**~"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia.~**

"Take a look at your son's grades before you call my daughter stupid, you effing horse!" James shouted, holding Lily close to him. He then turned his gaze to Dorea, who was resting her head on Bill's shoulder. They would be a really cute couple, and she was already so close to the rest of his family...

**~"I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."~**

"BULL _SHIT_!"

"_LILY_!"

"... What?"

**~Dorea seriously doubt this, but thought it best not to argue. She sat down at the table and tried not to think about how she was going to look on her first day at Stonewall High - like she was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.~**

"Yeah, probably." Bill agreed. Charlie whacked him over the head. "What? I was only agreeing with her!"

Neither noticed Dorea's faint glare towards the book. Stupid book...

**~Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Dorea's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual, and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.~**

"Like a baby with a new toy." Lily sneered at her nephew. He was absolutely horribly towards her daughter, so she wouldn't treat him any better.

**~They heard the click of the mail slot and the flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the mail, Dudley." said Uncle Vernon from behind his newspaper.~**

"Woah, he made the pig do something?" Sierra asked, staring at the book in shock.

**~"Make Dorea get it."**

**"Get the mail, Dorea."~**

"Ok, the world's right." Sierra said, then saw Dorea's face. "What's wrong?"

"He actually said my _name_..."

**~"Poke her with your Smeltings stick, Dudley."~**

"Steal the stick and whack him with it!"

"... _Seriously_, Sirius?"

"Don't you get started on that."

**~Dorea dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard for Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight,~**

"Don't you mean the Isle of _Weight_?" Blaise murmured, making the Slytherins that heard him snort in amusement. They never knew that a Weasley could be so entertaining.

**~a brown envelope that looked like a bill,~**

"A what?" a seventh year Slytherin asked. "Why would they send a _person_ in an _envelope_?"

"A bill is a required monthly payment for different things, like electricity, water being pumped through the pipes, heating, so on and so on." Lily quickly explained. The Slytherins looked a little confused at the idea of paying for water, but then they remembered that this was the muggle world they were talking about.

**~and - a letter for Dorea.~**

"Is that so surprising?" Ginny asked. Cat answered.

"We didn't have to send each other letters, we saw each other almost daily, and Michaela lives next door to Dorea. So, unless she got a letter from the library for late books, I doubt that she would get letters." At that, Bill looked upset.

"I send you letters almost every day after that Halloween, what happened to them?" Bill asked, looking at Dumbledore. The man's eyes narrowed.

"I adjusted the anti-owl wards so that Hogwarts owls and your owl, or any owl that your family would own, could get through them. Which means that Dorea should have gotten all your letters since you sent them to her, while fan letters are sent to a Vault in Gringotts." Dumbledore looked at Petunia, who glanced at her feet.

"... They're in a box in the attic." Surprisingly, it was Dudley who answered. He was also glaring at his parents. "It's illegal to tamper with someone's mail, you know. It's also illegal to misuse a stipend like that."

Dorea looked thoughtfully at her cousin. Maybe Luna was right about the wrackspurts, maybe Dudley had changed since the Dementor attack...

"Professor, when I take Dorea to Gringotts to deal with the payments the Dursleys have been misusing, can we stop by their house so she can get the letters?" Bill asked. Dumbledore nodded, glaring at the Dursleys. He had thought better of them than he should've. McGonagall had been right about them...

**~Dorea picked it up and stared at it, her heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever in her whole life, had written to her. Who would?~**

"Uh, Potter, every magical child has written to you at least 5 or 6 times in their life." Daphne informed. Dorea's jaw dropped, now imagining the size that Gringotts Vault must be. She might want to empty that soon, 14 years of being unchecked, and receiving 5 or 6 letters from every magical child in the world... Ginny's face burned a bright pink when George grinned.

"Yeah, but Gin-Gin here wrote you at least 50 times a month."

**~Her somewhat-friends she spoke to almost every day, so it was pointless to send each other letters, she had no other relatives - she didn't belong to the library, so she'd never even gotten rude notes asking for books back. Yet, here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

**Ms. D. Potter **

**The Cupboard Under the Stairs **

**4 Privet Drive Little **

**Whinging**

** Surrey~**

"We _really_ should check those letters before they're sent." McGonagall whispered to Dumbledore, who nodded in agreement.

"How come they're so exact, anyway?" James asked. Flitwick answered.

"They're addressed using an Enchanted Quill, the same quill that writes the Student Registry. It was charmed by Rowena Ravenclaw herself, so we have no idea how it really works." he said. James paused, then nodded.

"Dorea will have to get Rowena Ravenclaw's Spellbook from the Potter Vault if we want to check that." he said at the same time that Sirius said:

"I was freaking hiding from my mum when I got my letter! 'Mr. S. Black, Closet in the Attic, 12 Grimmauld Place, London'. Needless to say, she found me, and for once didn't punish me, since I had gotten my Hogwarts letter."

**~The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.~**

"Which is the proof that the letter has been paid for, which I explained before."

"We get it, Lilypad."

WHACK!

"Ow, _Lilypad_!"

"Don't be rude, then!"

**~Turning the envelope over, her hand trembling, Dorea saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat arms; a lion,~**

The Gryffindors past and present, cheered, stomped their feet on the ground, and pounded their fists against the table. Several of the girls got up and did a goofy dance on the table. No one could say that they weren't enthusiastic about their House.

**~an eagle,~**

The Ravenclaws, past and present as well, cheered for their House, but nowhere near as enthusiastically as the Gryffindors.

**~a badger,~**

The Hufflepuffs, also past and present, cheered for their House almost as enthusiastically as the Gryffindors - Tonks and a few other seventh year girls got up on their table and did a victory dance.

**~And a snake~**

The Slytherins all politely applauded their House amidst the boos they received from several Gryffindors.

**~surrounding a large letter H.~**

"_HOGWARTS_!" 3/4 of the Hall cheered. The Weasley Twins let loose a firework that spelt out the school's name, making the cheers grow louder. Once they died down, Daphne continued.

**~"Hurry up, girl!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.~**

Suddenly, every magical person in the Hall, minus Snape, Fudge, and Umbridge, held a hand over their heart.

"May we please have a moment of silence for the death of Vernon Dursley's sense of humor." James said seriously, his head bowed. The misfit gang joined in, Michaela fake sobbing silently. Charlie conjured a handkerchief and handing it to her.

After their moment of silence, during which the Dursleys (save Dudley) all turned bright red or purple, Daphne continued.

**~Dorea went back to the kitchen, still staring at her letter. She handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.~**

"Should've done it in the hallway, sweetheart." Molly said affectionately. Dorea flushed and looked at her feet.

"I was in shock." she replied, indicating for Daphne to continue reading. She didn't want to go on about her home life all that much.

**~Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk. -"~**

"Too bad she didn't die." Bill and Dorea said grimly. Both remembered the fact that Marge had allowed Ripper to viciously bite Dorea's leg, and then yelled at Dorea for getting blood on the Dursleys' floors.

"_BILL! DOREA!_"

**~"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly, "Dad, Dorea's got something!"~**

"YOU SELFISH, DISGUSTING _BRAT_!" Bill screamed, glaring at Dudley. "DO YOU _REALISE_ EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST _DID_?"

**~Dorea had just begun to unfold her letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of her hands by Uncle Vernon. She could've sworn she was the word 'Witchcraft', though.~**

"Oh, so now you do more illegal activities by stealing my daughter's mail?" Lily ground out, glaring icily at her brother-in-law and the woman that she was forced to call a sister. "As I recall, _Petunia_, you sent a letter to Professor Dumbledore asking if you could go to Hogwarts too. Is it wrong to say that you're treating my daughter like this because you're _jealous _that she has magic and you don't?"

Petunia didn't answer, her face going a odd shade of gray instead. Vernon and Marge, however, got bright purple faces at the thought of Petunia ever wanting to be a freak.

**~"That's mine!" Dorea said, trying to snatch it back.~**

"Too bad that didn't work." she muttered, still looking at her feet. Bill wrapped an arm around her shoulder, attempting to comfort her.

Little did they know, they were being eyed by a certain Toad and Headmaster.

**~"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon,~**

"Uh, thousands of children send letters to her every day. She's a celebrity, and no matter what the Prophet's been printing, kids will still send her letters." Charlie said, glaring at Vernon. Vernon's jaw dropped. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the _Royal Family _hassent her a dozen letters or so."

That comment made Vernon faint. The Royal Family sending his freak of a niece letters? That was... _Really_ _really_ bad for him.

**~shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.~**

Those who had eaten porridge for breakfast suddenly felt like they were about to be sick.

**~"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.~**

"Oh, how _brave_!" Remus mocked.

**~Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it,~**

"Could he even read by then?" Ron suddenly asked, looking at Dorea. She narrowed her eyes.

"No, I don't think so. I think he just wanted it because it wasn't his."

**~but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.~**

"CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE!"

"SIRIUS!"

"... Lily, you hate your sister too." Winces from said sister.

"Yes, I do, but there are children present! Could you at least _try_ to act your age?"

**~"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"~**

"Drama queen." Lily muttered. The Weasley Twins groaned and covered their ears.

"We don't need-"

"-To hear you two-"

"-Doing _that_." they finished. Everyone third year and up stopped to think about it, before their faces twisted in disgust and they started throwing things at the pair. The Twins were busy being whacked violently over the head by Cat, who was blushing furiously at the thought.

**~They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Dorea and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.~**

"If you did that to me I'd take you over my knee and you wouldn't be able to sit for a week." James warned. Arthur nodded in agreement, earning gulps from their respective children. Those who had been spanked by either one, mainly Charlie, Bill, and Percy, all rubbed their rears, remembering those painful swats.

**~"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.~**

"You do realise that this entire moment is somewhat illegal, right?" Dan whispered to Michaela, who nodded.

**~"I want to read it," said Dorea furiously, "As it's mine."~**

"Good, Dorea, don't take this laying down." James said, glaring at the Dursleys for stealing his daughter's Hogwarts letter. Petunia shrunk under his gaze. Lily had sent her a letter explaining what an honour it was for a young witch or wizard to get a Hogwarts letter, and how... _Taboo_ it was to destroy one.

**~"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Dorea didn't move.~**

"Aaaand here comes her temper." Ron said, shrinking in his seat. Dorea flushed.

"It wasn't that bad!" she said. Hermione snorted.

"No, but your guilt trips and speeches back then were absolutely amazing." she said, referring to the speech that convinced Dorea's best friends that she was serious about doing anything to stop Voldemort from getting the Stone.

**~"I WANT MY LETTER!"~**

Slytherins jumped and glared at Daphne for shouting that. She shrugged.

"It's all in capitals, so it needs to be shouted." she said defiantly, and continued reading.

**~she shouted.~**

"See? I _had_ to shout it."

**~"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Dorea and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall,~**

"I thought you said they didn't physically abuse you." Bill whispered, making Dorea flush.

"They don't... _Normally_."

". . . _Normally_?"

"... I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah you did..."

**~slamming the kitchen door behind them. Dorea and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole.~**

"KNEE HIS CROTCH!" all the girls in the circle screeched, making the males in the Hall wince and cover their privates with their hands. Dorea narrowed her eyes.

"Why didn't _I_ think of that at the time." she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

**~Dudley won, so Dorea, her glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on her stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.~**

"Better listening place, anyway." James said musingly. McGonagall looked over at him.

"And how would you know that, Mister Potter?" she asked. James paled.

"_Uh_..." McGonagall's eyes narrowed.

"Please speak to me after lunch." James pouted and huffed.

"_Fine_."

**~"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "Look at the address - how could they possibly know where she sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

**"Watching - spying - might be following up," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.~**

"I have better things to do than stalk you Dursleys." McGonagall said with a huff.

**~"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want-"~**

"If you did that we would've just taken Dorea away after receiving that letter." McGonagall said, glaring at the Dursleys.

**~Dorea could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... We won't do anything..."~**

"Won't work." all the professors sang. Several students giggled at the sound, it was rather strange.

**~"But-"**

**"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we wear when we took her in that we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"~**

At that, the lights dimmed, the windows vibrated violently, and storm clouds gathered overhead. Dumbledore cast an_ Ennervate_ at Vernon, and stood, his magic whipping his hair around in a non-existent wind. Suddenly, everyone understood why Voldemort only feared Dumbledore. The man was terrifying when angered.

"You. Tried. To. _Stamp_. _Out_. Her. _Magic_?" he spat out, his bright blue eyes colder than ice. All four Dursleys shrank in their seats, trying to hide from the angered wizard. Dumbledore twirled his wand once, and everyone's jaw dropped. In place of Vernon, Petunia, and Marge, there were two very fat rats and one extremely skinny rat, all in a cage. Dudley blinked, realising he hadn't been affected. The darkness cleared, and Dumbledore smiled. "I can't blame a child for doing what he was taught to." he explained, and sat down. Everyone blinked, and Daphne decided to continue reading.

Dudley ignored the squeaking, terrified rats in the cage next to him.

"It's your own fault this happened." he muttered, making all three rats stare up at him in shock and betrayal. "If you treated her like a normal kid then you wouldn't be in this sit-u-a-tion..." he had to pronounce the word slowly, not used to using words longer than two syllable.

**~That evening, when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Dorea in her cupboard.~**

"Could he even fit?" Arthur asked incredulously. Molly thought about whacking him over the head, but reconsidered. After reading how the Dursleys treated Dorea, it was fair to be rude to them. In fact, she thought that Dumbledore was being too kind to them by simply turning them into rats.

"Nah, just his head." Dorea replied, smiling politely.

**~"Where's my letter? said Dorea the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed his head through the door. "Who's writing to me?"~**

"Good girl, get straight to the point!" Moody nodded approvingly. Dorea flushed a little as Kingsley, Tonks, James, and Sirius all stared at her in awe. She got Moody's approval that easily? Impressive.

**~"No one, it was addressed to you by mistake," Uncle Vernon said shortly. "I have burned it."~**

The Hall went silent. Malfoy turned to Daphne.

"I'm sorry could you read that line again?" he asked, banging his hand against his ear. "I think I've got something stuck in my ear." Daphne nodded, her knuckles white from the force was using to hold the book.

_**~"No one, it was addressed to you by mistake," Uncle Vernon said shortly. "I have burned it."~**_

The Hall suddenly looked at the three rats in the cage, anger burning in their eyes. The Slytherins all began to put their heads together - Potter may be a Gryffindor, but she was also from the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and as such, needed just revenge for her atrocious upbringing. It was obvious to them that their Head of House had been lying to them for years about the girl, and several of them decided that they ought to apologize for how they've been treating her.

**~"It was _not_ a mistake," said Dorea angrily. "It had my _cupboard_ on it."~**

"It's so sad that you think of it as your cupboard." Bill said, hugging Dorea close to him. Dorea faintly blushed as she looked down.

_He only sees you as family... Nothing more..._

**~"SILENCE!"~**

More people jumped as Daphne shouted that. Many people glared at the Ice Queen, but they didn't seem to affect her in the slightest.

**~yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. Dorea plucked one off of her glasses before looking up at her uncle again.~**

Ron shuddered violently, as did Michaela.

"I hate spiders." she said. Ron nodded in agreement, glad he finally found someone who understood his fear.

**~He took a few deep breaths and forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.~**

"Bet it was." Michaela and Charlie both grumbled.

**~"Er - yes, Dorea - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking .. You're really getting a bit big for it... We think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."~**

"_SECOND BEDROOM_?!" Ron shouted, his ears going red. The rats cowered in the corner of their cage as Ron seemed to grow in anger. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THE SPOILED BRAT HAD A _SECOND BEDROOM_ AND YOU FORCED DOREA INTO A _CUPBOARD_?!"

Malfoy's jaw dropped. Not even pureblood heirs and heiresses had two bedrooms - playrooms, yes, but second bedrooms? _No_.

**~"Why?" said Dorea, suspicious of the sudden move. Did it have to do with the strange letter?~**

"Yes." Ron ground out, glaring at the rats. Gred and Forge exchanged saddened looks. They had wondered why there were toys in that cupboard when they went to get Dorea's stuff before her second year, but they didn't want to ask...

**~"Don't ask questions!" snapped Uncle Vernon. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys had four bedrooms:~**

"Four... Bedrooms... Must... Not... Kill..." Remus growled, his eyes glowing amber. Moony was very angry at the Dursleys for how they treated his cub. One look at Dorea being hugged by Bill calmed Moony considerably, though Remus still couldn't figure out why for the life of him.

**~one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one for where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that couldn't fit into his first bedroom.~**

"It's called a basement or the dump, look it up." Hermione spat out, glaring at the rats for treating her friend the way they did. She smirked as she thought of Crookshanks. Maybe Dorea's slightly sadistic side was rubbing off on her...

**~It only took Dorea one trip upstairs to move everything she owned from the cupboard to this room.~**

Ron suddenly felt absolutely horrible. How many times had he whined and complained about not having much? And here was Dorea, with only an armful of belongings, not complaining at all. Dorea was really a better person, he was lucky to be her friend...

**~She sat down on the bed and stared around her. Nearly everything in here was broken.~**

"Then why isn't it thrown out?" Hermione asked. Dudley flushed, looking down at his hands.

"... Mum and dad thought that, because it was mine, it was too good to be thrown out... I didn't really see the point in keeping them, though... I just didn't ask questions..." he answered, not bothering to look up to see the appreciative looks he was starting to get. Dorea smiled faintly. Her cousin really was changing, for the better...

**~The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog;~**

"Fresca's been terrified of Dudley ever since." Dorea sighed, thinking about the poor dog at Number 6. Michaela nodded in agreement, 6's dog, named Fresca, was adored by the entire block, and everyone hated Dudley when he ran her over.

**~in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it.~**

Daphne looked confused while the misfit gang snickered.

"You know you're obese when you bend metal by sitting on it." Dan snickered, making everyone grin in understanding. They may not know what an air rifle was, but it was made of metal. That was enough of an explanation for them.

**~Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.~**

The Ravenclaws looked horrified at the thought. Dorea smiled.

"They were actually really good books." she said mystically, making that table sigh in relief. Thank Merlin they had been put to good use... "I think one of them was a story book by Brothers Grimm..." Hermione suddenly looked interested.

"Do you have it with you?" she asked. Dorea thought for a moment, and nodded,

"Yeah, the book's in my trunk." she said. She noticed the strange looks she was getting from every pureblood. "They're old muggle fairy tales, really nasty stuff that actually is a lot more realistic than the current, Disney, happy-go-lucky ones. Involves rape, murder, cannibalism, suicide... Pretty nasty stuff." The purebloods looked absolutely horrified at the idea of those ideas being in muggle fairy tales - there was only one Tales of Beedle the Bard story that had murder in it, and that was the Warlock's Hairy Heart.

**~From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling to his mother, "I don't want her in there... I need that room... Make her get out..."~**

"You do _not_ need that room!" Molly scolded the book, while the current Dudley blushed.

"I know that... Now..." Molly suddenly looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry dear, it's just very hard not to-" Bill grinned.

"Scold a child misbehaving in a book?" his grin faded with a yelp as his mother sent him a mild Stinging Hex.

**~Dorea sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday she'd have given anything to be up here. Today she'd rather be back in her cupboard with that letter than up here without it.~**

"Hindsight sucks." James sighed, making Dorea, Ron, and Hermione nod in agreement, all of them thinking of the search for Flamel. Hindsight really did suck.

**~Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his poor tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.~**

Jaws dropped as the list went on. Professor Sprout fumed.

"_Ooooh_, if he was my son I'd take him over my knee and smack him so hard he wouldn't be able to move, let alone sit!" she hissed, making Flitwick and Burbage, who were on either side of the enraged woman, scoot away in mild fear. Michaela's jaw dropped.

"_That's_ why you gave me Tod?" she asked. Dorea snorted.

"You named it _Tod_?" she retorted. Michaela glared.

"Touche, mon ami." she replied. Dorea smirked in victory.

**~Dorea was thinking about this time yesterday, bitterly wishing she'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.~**

"Like that'll change anything." Snape muttered, glaring at nothing. _It's all exaggerations... Potter was alway a spoiled bitch... All exaggerations..._

**~When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Dorea, made Dudley go at get it. They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Ms. D. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -"~**

"I thought he wanted it, why would he shout about it?" James asked. Dorea shrugged.

"Search me."

**~With a strangled cry,~**

"_CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE_!" James shouted. Lily summoned the Potter Grimoire fro Dorea.

WHAM! James was now nursing the bump that they Grimoire had left behind.

"Ooooooow... _Lilypad_..." he whined. Lily glared at him.

"_Don't_ you 'Lilypad' me, James!" she hissed, successfully cowing James. Sirius made a whipping noise and action, causing Remus to burst into laughter.

**~Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Dorea right on his tail. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made very difficult by the fact that Dorea had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.~**

"Practicing, are you? Or is that how you face all things large than you?" Ron teased, and Michaela gasped.

"That's what those noises were? You three were _fighting_? I thought they were trying to run up and down the stairs!" At that, all the 15 year olds burst into laughter.

**~After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick,~**

"Dudley too?" Nods. "Uh... _Wow_."

"_Exactly_ my thoughts."

**~Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Dorea's letter clutched in his hand.~**

"_Damn_." The Marauders sighed. "But it's a good thing you didn't open them and read them, otherwise the Detector Charms would've gone off."

"Yes, but if I didn't receive a reply I would've gone to her straight away, especially if I knew the Charms had gone off." McGonagall said. "You need to remember, I _was_ against her being placed there."

**~"Go to your cupboard- I mean, you bedroom," he wheezed at Dorea. "Dudley - go - just go."**

**Dorea walked round and round her new room. Someone knew she had moved out of her cupboard and they seemed to know she hadn't received her first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time she'd make sure they didn't fail. She had a plan.~**

Here, Hermione and Ron groaned. Dorea pouted.

"My plans are good!" she said. Hermione looked at her.

"When you plan, everything fails. When one of us plans, everything goes great." she countered. Dorea opened her mouth to argue, but Hermione continued. "When you rush into things without a plan and just wing it, everything goes excellently."

Dorea pouted and sunk into Bill's chest. Not fair, she had made good points that Dorea couldn't argue.

**~The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Dorea turned it off quickly and dressed silently. She mustn't wake the Dursleys. She stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**She was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.~**

"That's... A really good plan. Too bad it won't work." Ron said, blinking. Dorea glared at her friend, who stuck his tongue out as his reply.

"What is it, 'Pick on Dorea Day'?" she asked. Bill grinned.

"Nah, that's next week! Today it's 'Annoy a Potter Day'!" he replied cheekily.

Needless to say, his earring was tugged on. Harshly.

**~Her heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door - Dorea leapt into the air; she'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!~**

"Please let it be... Please let it be..." James, Sirius, Remus, the Prewett Twins, and the Weasley Twins all chanted, their fingers crossed.

**~Lights clicked on upstairs and to her horror, Dorea realized that the big, squashy something had been her uncle's face.~**

"YES!" all those who had been chanting shouted, most of them glomping Dorea and, because they were next to her, Charlie and Bill as well. "YOU STEPPED ON HIS FACE!"

**~Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure Dorea didn't do exactly what she'd been trying to do. He shouted at Dorea for about half an hour and then told her to go and make a cup of tea. Dorea shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time she got back the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Dorea could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

**"I want -" she began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before her eyes.~**

"That's horrible!" Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff, gasped. She couldn't believe that Dorea had been mentally tortured like this, it was horrible!

**~Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed home and nailed up the mail slot.**

**"See, he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "If they can't deliver them they'll just give up."~**

"I am one of the most patient and stubborn professors at Hogwarts, Mr. Dursley. I am also one of the most creative. As such, I will not be giving up so easily." McGonagall explained to the most fat rat.

**~"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."~**

"Your wife appears to realise that fact."

**~"Oh, these people's minds work in strange way, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.~**

There was silence.

"I-I'm _glad_ he said that. I don't _wanna_ think like him!" said a sniffling Ravenclaw first year. One of the older years automatically went to go calm him down, making Flitwick smile.

**~On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Dorea. As they couldn't go through the mail slot, they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.~**

"Oh, dear Dursleys, the fun has only begun." McGonagall cackled, making everyone inch away from the clearly gone mad witch.

**~Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the frond and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, jumping at small noises.~**

"... I think he's finally gone 'round the bend." Dan said slowly. Dorea and Michaela nodded.

"Yeah, that's about the time it started." Michaela replied.

**~On Saturday, things began to get out of hand.~**

"_Began_?" Blaise asked, shocked. "I thought things began when they _locked_ you in that _cupboard_!"

**~Twenty-four letters to Dorea found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs~**

"...You weren't kidding when you said you were creative, professor." Su Li, a fifth year Ravenclaw, said. She was actually kind of disturbed by the Lioness' maniacal grin.

**~that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to,~**

"The poor muggles." Molly sighed, thinking of the people Vernon Dursley had probably shouted at.

**~Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

**"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Dorea in amazement.~**

"Uh, everyone? Especially Bill, he really missed you." Charlie said, smiling as Bill hugged Dorea tighter, tucking her head under his chin.

"Of course I missed her, she's my baby girl!" Bill said, not realising everyone in the Hall heard him. Michaela and Charlie exchanged glances. They were _so_ getting them together.

**~On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

**"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today -"~**

"First off, not for us; and second off, he's definitely lost whatever marbles he had left." Sirius grinned.

**~Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Dorea leapt into the air trying to catch one.~**

"Uh, Rea? There were letters on the ground..." James said, confuse. Dorea grinned, but held up her hand to silence all Quidditch fans.

"Now now, let him find out later." she said, the grin spreading to all those who knew she was the youngest Seeker in a century.

**~"Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Dorea around the waist and threw her into the hall.~**

Growls could be heard from Remus and Sirius, as well as a faint hissing noise coming from Cat.

**~When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

**"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. "We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue.~**

"He also looked really stupid." Dorea added in, making Daphne smirk. Luna cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"But I thought he always looked stupid?" she asked innocently, earning laughter from everyone.

**~Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the motorway.**

**Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.~**

"Uh, wow, really? Didn't you just hear what he told you?" Hermione said at the same time that the misfit gang was having celebrations - _DUDLEY HAD BEEN PUNISHED FOR SOMETHING_!

**~They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.~**

"Yes, because that gets rid of wizards that can use Tracking Charms." Kinglsey said, rolling his eyes at the rats. Honestly, did they think wizards were idiots?

**~They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.~**

"Aww. Poor _baby_. Welcome to Dorea's world, _Dudders_." said Sirius, scathingly.

**~Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Dorea shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Dorea stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...~**

"Wondering about what?" Bill asked, looked down at Dorea's face. She stared up at him like he was an idiot.

"It was 5 years ago, how am I supposed to remember?" she asked, making Bill nodin consideration. She looked down. She actually remembered what she had been wondering about - it was about who the boy in those dreams were.

**~They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day.~**

"That is _not_ a breakfast!" Madam Pomfrey growled, eyeing Dudley. He needed to go on a diet, an _effective_ diet...

**~They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

**"'Scuse me, but is one of you Ms. D. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**Ms. D. Potter **

**Room 17 **

**Railview Hotel **

**Cokeworth**

**Dorea made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked her hand out of the way. The woman stared.~**

"You're just gonna let that happen?" Ginny said, horrified with how people acted in these situations.

**~"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her.~**

"He'd do better to listen to her. She has some knowledge of the magical world and knows they won't be able to outrun the letters." Lily sighed, shaking her head.

**~Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.~**

"There's no where in the world that wizards won't find you - just give up." Malfoy sneered. To his surprise, many people nodded in agreement.

**~"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.~**

"Uh, he went mad after the first letter, Dudley." said a random Slytherin third year. Daphne jumped, staring at the brunette in shock.

"Astoria, when did you get there?" she asked. Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's younger sister, shrugged.

"A few minutes ago. After you shouted." her younger sister replied. Daphne looked at her, and continued reading.

**~Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled.**

**"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television. "**

**Monday. This reminded Dorea of something. If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television - then tomorrow Tuesday, was Dorea's eleventh birthday.~**

"HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!" almost everyone shouted at the top of their lungs. A triple leveled cake appeared in front of the 15 year old. Dorea blushed.

"But-" Bill clasped a hand over her mouth, watching as Molly sliced the cake and dished it out.

"We didn't get to celebrate the birthdays we should've, so stay qui- _did you just lick my hand_?" he asked, making Charlie fall over laughing. Michaela smiled, shook her head, and offered the redhead a hand up. Charlie accepted it, smiling at the blonde girl.

"Thanks." he said. Michaela smiled slightly back at him.

"No problem." she replied, and sat back down. Sierra raised an eyebrow at her best friend, who looked confused. _What? What'd she do?_

**~Of course, her birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given her a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.~**

Bill's eyes narrowed. He was glad those letters had Extension and Permanent Preservation Charms on them, he had sent Dorea yearly Yule, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Samhain, and birthday gifts - as well as Christmas, Easter, and a few Valentines day gifts.

**~Still, you didn't turn eleven every day.~**

Everyone nodded. Birthdays were always something to looks forwards to.

**~Uncle Vernon was back, and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, think package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.~**

Many people raised their eyebrows at the mention. That obviously wasn't good.

**~"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come one! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.~**

Malfoy looked like he was about to make a snide comment, but instead was hit in the head with a shoe. Astoria Greengrass then stood up, walked over, picked up her shoe, put it back on, and sat back down next to her older sister.

**~"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.~**

"That sound's like it'll sink at any moment!" Bill said, bring Dorea back into his lap. It didn't sink, but it could have!

**~"I've already got some rations, said Uncle Vernon, "So all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks, and a chilly wind whipped their faces.~**

"He better not have gotten you sick." Lily growled, her eyes on the Vernon-rat. She and James had plans to get back at them, but they would need some help...

**~After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled though the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of crisps each and four bananas.~**

"THOSE AREN'T RATIONS!" the Weasleys and Madam Pomfrey shouted.

"Sweetheart, how much of that did you end up eating?" Lily asked politely. Dorea looked at her lap. In all honesty, she didn't get anything to eat from them that night. Dudley got her banana, while Uncle Vernon got her bag of crisps.

Dorea's silence must have been the answer they had been waiting for, however, because the Dursley-rats were getting glared at.

**~He tried to start a fire, but the empty crisp bags just smoked and shrivelled up.**

**"Could do with some of those letter now, eh?" he said cheerfully.~**

"_Git_." hissed Ron.

"_Prat_." growled George.

"_Bastard_." grumbled Fred.

"_Arsehole_." snarled Charlie.

"_Shitface_." sneered Bill.

"_BOYS_! THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT!" Molly screeched, making all five wince at the sound.

"Sorry mum..." they chorused.

**~He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here, in a storm, to deliver mail. Dorea privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer her up at all.~**

"Don't worry, I was fine." she said quickly, before anyone else could speak.

**~As night fell, he promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut, and a fierce wind rattle the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room, and made a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next doo, and Dorea was left to find the softest bit of floor she could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.~**

The three rats squeaked fearfully as their cage was hovered over to the center of the circle, a very hungry Crookshanks sitting there for them, waiting. Hermione and Dorea sent each other smirks - no one else knew when they had planned this, but they had with James.

"Now, remember Crookshanks, you can't completely eat them. Legs and tails are fine, but we need them alive." Dorea cooed, petting Crookshanks' head. James then transformed the cage into a maze with no exit, and let Crookshanks chase after the three to his hearts content.

**~The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Dorea couldn't sleep. She shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, her stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Dorea she'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. She sat there, a memory of a song lingering in her mind. She wondered if the Dursleys would remember her birthday at all, she wondered where the letter writer was now.~**

"I'm waiting for the reply that you've gotten your letter and are off to Diagon." McGonagall said.

**~Five minutes to go. The song replayed itself over in her head, and Dorea couldn't help but sing along, the memory of that red haired boy rocking her while singing going through her mind.~**

Charlie grinned and pinched Dorea's cheek.

"Aw, how cute, she remembers her lullaby!" he cooed. Bill swatted the hand away, glaring at his younger brother. Astoria turned to Daphne, making a puppy dog face.

"Sing it?" she asked. Daphne took one look and nodded - her sister was her one weakness. She opened her mouth to begin singing - fortunately, she had heard the song before, so she knew the tune.

**~ _::You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._**

_**You make me happy, when skies are gray.**_

_**You'll never knew dear, how much I love you::**_

**Dorea heard something creak outside. She hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although she might be warmer if it did.**

_**::So please don't take my, sunshine away.**_

_**The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping.**_

_**I dreamt I held you in my arms.::**_

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that she'd be able to steal one somehow.**

_**::When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken.**_

_**And so I hung, my head, and cried.::**_

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that?**

_**::You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.**_

_**You make me happy, when skies are gray.**_

_**You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.::**_

**And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

_**:: So please don't take my,::**_

**One minute to go and she'd be eleven.**

_**::Sunshine away.::**_

**Thiry second... Twenty... Ten... Nine - maybe she'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him - three... Two... One...**

**BOOM.~**

The Slytherins applauded Daphne's singing voice, while muggleborns sent Bill and Dorea, both of which were blushing furiously, knowing looks. They knew that song. It was a looove song.

**~The whole shack shivered and Dorea sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.~**

"That's the chapter!" Daphne's voice rang out. "Who wants to read next?"

At those words, the doors to the Great Hall swung open, only to reveal...

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15,214**

**Yeah, I left off with a cliffhanger. Oh Merlin, I'm gonna have to write around _accents_...**

**This story is officially my most reviewed, favourited, and followed story on this site - it's also the only story of mine in a community. And it's been less than two weeks since the first chapter was posted... So thank you for the awesome response that this story has been getting!**

**Oh, and the pairing is CharliexMichaela for the OC Charlie's gonna be with. Charlie and Michaela will get together shortly after Bill and Dorea get together, and I think I should explain a bit about her heritage.**

**Michaela will be half High Elf, the most powerful Elf you can find. High Elves are almost wizards and witches, their forms of magic are similar but still different. High Elves, as well as those who are half blooded, can Apparate in and out of places that witches and wizards normally can't. Because their power is so powerful, unless a High Elf marries a wizard, the High Elf blood skips a generation, making muggles that carry the genetics for the Magical Creature.**

**Please review! I respond to the longer reviews, so the longer, the better! And I also love having debates about different things in Harry Potter - the main one being about whether being 'Light' or 'Dark' makes you good or evil, r whether Magic is divided by good and evil spells. The button is right down here!  
**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**So please review and tell me what you think!**

_**(And, since I'm Canadian - HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!)**_


	4. Book 1: Chapter 4

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC**

**ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE I DON'T OWN!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies**

**griffindork93: At the moment, Bill is attempting to treat Dorea like he would Ginny, because of the age difference, but it really isn't working out since everywhere he turns someone seems to be trying to make him admit his feelings. Dobby's also one of my favourite characters - Dorea is gonna sob uncrontollably when they read Dobb'ys death, and almost go catatonic - Dobby is her only friend that can really undertand what she's been through, what with her treatment at the Dursleys and his at the Malfoys. I think Dumbledore's reaction is self explanatory, his little sister had her magic stamped out, he would never wish that upon another child. And as for his personality shift - if Dudley hadn't been showing ashame and regret at reading about what he had done in the past, he would've been a rat as well. And since Marge seemed to support her brother in his decisions, he decided that she should get the same punishment. I think that they're reaction was also explanatory - getting a Hogwarts letter meant that you were powerful enough to go to a magical school, meaning you weren't a Squib. That, a few centuries ago, would've been a big deal, and now, when it isn't nearly as big a deal, it would've become tradition that you celebrate getting a Hogwarts Letter. Dorea already knows she likes Bill, she's in denial about Bill liking her - Bill, on the other hand, is completely confused about his emotions. He's trying to see her as his little sister, but he really doesn't want to. The song idea I got from another Reads the Books story - don't ask which one, I don't remember ^^" And honestly, the idea of muggleborns and muggle-raised going to the muggle world after Hogwarts is pretty plausable - they know how the world works, all they would need is take the muggle education they missed - either that or Dorea could go to another country - I'm thinking America, because they speak English, it's in the Northern Hemisphere, and it isn't loyal to Britain like Canada is. Sirius' comment was supposed to overpower James' comment, mainly because he knew James was thinking out loud and didn't want more Potter secrets to be revealed.**

**Katzztar: It pisses me off when people say that Harry' couldn't have been abused - the way they allowed Dudley to treat Harry? The fact that he had to sneak out in the middle of the night for food? That's intentional abuse. No one seems to pick up on the fact that the Dursleys were doing illegal activities by interferring with Harry's mail. Dorea hasn't fully explained the abuse yet, she just gave the bare minimum description of what happened. She hasn't yet explained what Vernon would do if he found Dorea healed almost inhumanly quickly, and trust me, it's gonna be BAD. Heh heh heh... It was supposed to be ""Don't you mean the Isle of Weight?" Bill murmured, making the Slytherins that heard him snort in amusement. They never knew that a Weasley could be so entertaining." I originally had it as Blaise, then changed it to Bill, but I think something was undone and I never realised it... So thanks for the heads up! And I loved writing McGonagall in this chapter - she is so sarcastic in the books, but JKR never really got into her character. As such, I decided to... Embelish, only a little, on her character. Besides, she's a cat, and aren't cats protective of their kittens - which she sees as her Lions.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

The Great Hall doors swung open to reveal Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum. Hermione rocketed out of her seat to greet the Bulgarian Quidditch player, while Fleur had her eyes narrowed on Dorea, who was still in Bill's lap. Harumphing, she held her head up as she moved daintily to the end of the sofa to sit. Victor, however, chose to sit between Sierra and Hermione. He smiled at Dorea and Ron, before turning to Hermione.

"Hermione, vould you mind telling me vhat I missed?" he then noticed the maze in the middle of the circle. "... And as to vhy your kneazle is chasing three rats?" he added, a faint smile of amusement forming as he watched Crookshanks pounce on the Petunia-rat. Dorea smirked.

"Oh, those are my relatives that he's chasing. Professor Dumbledore transformed them into rats over... Something, I really don't know what - so Dad made the maze, Hermione let Crookshanks loose, and I brought them over here." she said happily, a rather sadist grin crossing her face. Fleur snorted, glaring at the girl.

"Oh, and why would 'ou feel ze need to torture zem like zis?" she asked. To her shock, Bill was the one who sent her a glare and answered.

"Why other reason should she feel the need to torture them other than that they tortured her for as long as she's lived with them?" he growled, holding Dorea tightly. Fleur's jaw dropped at the action and how he spoke to her - in their tutoring sessions he never acted that way. He was always polite and kind, but once that - that girl was thrown into the equation he was so cold. Fleur glared at Dorea, who didn't seem to even notice. Fleur had never liked the ravenette. She would never admit it, but she felt threatened by her. Gabrielle absolutely adored her, her mother and father respected her, the ogther students at Beauxbatons had flet as though she should be pitied for being forced into the Tournament, and now Bill favoured her. She didn't understand it - she was half Veela! She was much better than some silly little girl! Fleur's temper worsened when she saw Bill and Dorea smile at each other, and she almost flew into a rage when she witnessed Dorea nuzzle her head into her Bill's chest. That little whore was stealing her Mate! And he would be her Mate, even if she had to use potions to make him her first! After that the Veela magic would work its way into his system, making him absolutely and completely hers - heart, mind, and body. The only way for the Veela magic to reverse was for ihm to sleep with his Soulmate, which every human or half human has.

Victor, noticing Fleur about to fly into a tantrum, decided to change the subject.

"Ah, vell, vhat did ve miss?" he asked Dorea and Bill. Dorea was the one to answer this time.

"Well, we were all summoned here to read books about my life," Fleur scowled at the thought. _Why should she have to hear about that whore's life?_ "When three people came and Summoned my parents, the Prewett twins, and Cedric from the dead to read with us." Victor and Fleur's jaws dropped. Summoning the dead? Were these people Necromancers? "We found out that I was left on my relatives' doorstep, that Snape intentionally kept my family Grimoire from me - so we now have a Blood Feud going on - and I became Lady Potter. Now they just found out my bedroom for the first ten years of my life, that my relatives hate magic, that I'm a Parselmouth, and that my relatives decided that a run down hut on a rock in the middle of the sea was a good place to hide from wizards. Now we're about to see what happens next." she said, getting whacked over the head by Charlie.

"You already know what happens, chici." he said. Dorea pouted and stuck out her tongue, only for Bill to grab it.

"You need to mature, sweety." he said, tugging on the wet, pink flesh once and let her take it back int her mouth. Dorea's face contorted in disgust.

"Your hands taste like dirt." she said, happily digging into a slice of cake that Molly handed her. Bill looked affronted at Dorea while the rest of the Weasleys laughed.

At this point Daphne cleared her throat. She took one glance at the title for the next chapter and looked at Hagrid.

"I think Professor Hagrid should read the next chapter," she said, levitating the book over to him. "Seeing as the title is what it is."

Hagrid quickly glanced at the title and smiled. Victor and Fleur were still registering everything that Dorea had said, and Lily and James exchanged looks. Professor Hagrid? The only class he could've taken was Care of Magical Creatures... So he got the job?

**~Chapter 4 - Keeper of Keys~** he read, the smile only widening. Dorea grinned, fondly remembering her introduction to Hagrid. Suddenly all the Slytherins understood why Daphne had given Hagrid the book - so he could read his own entrance to the Hall. This would be very entertaining.

**~BOOM.~**

The entire Hall jumped as one at Hagrid's loud voice. The half-giant was far louder than Daphne had been.

**~They knocked again and Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.~**

"Since when does he do something that isn't stupid?" Ron asked, still angered that the Dursleys had locked Dorea in a cupboard for most of her life. He found a sick satisfaction in watching the Petunia-rat get pounced on by Crookshanks, her terrified squeaks barely heard over the kneazle's growls.

**~There was a crash behind the and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands - now they knew what had been in the long, thin package that he had brought with them. Dorea felt herself trying to shrink in her blanket. Did Uncle Vernon even know how to _use_ that thing?~**

"HE BROUGHT A _WHAT_ WITH HIM?!" Hermione and Lily screamed in terrified anger, glaring at the fattest rat that they were assuming was Vernon. "YOU BROUGHT THAT KIND OF WEAPON WITH YOU, WHEN YOU HAD TWO 11 YEAR OLDS IN THE SAME CAR?!" James nudged Lily.

"What's a rifle?" he asked innocently. Lily stood up, casting a Sonerus on herself.

"A rifle is a muggle item that can kill someone using a piece of metal called a bullet. This bullet is fired using a small explosion, moving at hundreds of feet per second. When it hits a person - if it hits, some people don't have amazing accuracy - it is essentially the cross between the Killing Curse and the Cruciatus Curse, depending on where it hits. If the bullet does not makes its way out of a person, and isn't later surgically removed, the victim of this weapon will most likely die of infection. Some guns, which a rifle is a form of, can kill from a good few hundred feet away - and silencers, which remove most of the noise from the shots that are fired - can make it possible to use these weapons from 10 feet away and nobody would be the wiser." she explained, casting the counter-charm and sitting back down. The purebloods were horrified at this revelation. Muggles created such a deadly weapon that can kill from so far away? Maybe they shouldn't test muggles to the point where they fight back...

**~"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"~**

"And so are we!" Charlie said, getting whacked by Dorea.

"While that is somewhat true, being armed is a muggle phrase for having a weapon with you - usually a gun." she explained. Charlie nodded, while Bill looked confused.

"Do you mean wands?" he asked the ravenette. Dorea nodded, taking out her own wand.

"Capable of killing, torturing, levitating, or turning someone into a itty-bitty kitty cat." she said, making James grin.

"THAT'S MY BAMBI!" he shouted, making Sirius and Remus whoop.

**~There was a pause. Then -**

**SMASH!~**

More jumping. McGonagall glared at Hagrid.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked. Hagrid smiled sheepishly.

"Er, well - it's all in capitals, professor." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I sorta 'ave ter shout it."

**~The door swung open with such a force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed falt on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.~**

"HAGRID!" all the Gryffindors shouted happily, grinning at the House friend. Victor chuckled.

"Vell, that vould make quite the impression on anyvun." he said, making Sierra nod in agreement. If she hadn't seen him sitting there calmly when she walked in, she would've probably felt intimidated by Hagrid herself.

**~The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned around to look at the all.**

**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's nor been an easy journey..."~**

"Aaaand he ruined it." Sierra deadpanned, making Dorea grin.

"He made up for it." she smirked, making everyone turn back to the book in anticipation.

**~He strode over to the sofa, where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

**"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.~**

The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws all gave Hagrid a standing ovation - they were all fond of the gentle half-giant, and this just made them all the fonder of him. The Slytherins, on the other hand, just spared a smirk. They didn't like the man, simply because he never really gave them a chance to be themselves, he just expected them all to be evil. But he did have his moments that they liked - this was clearly one of them.

**~Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother,~**

"What good is that gonna do? You're a whale, she's a horse."

**~who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.~**

"Ooooooh, zat would explain _zat_." Fleur said, having been quietly told of Petunia and Vernon's descriptions by the Prewett Twins, who didn't seem to really care for the French-girl. They had seen how she glared at Dorea and how she looked at Bill, they could only figure that she was in love with their oldest nephew.

**~"An' here's Dorea!" said the giant.**

**Dorea looked up into the fierce wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," the giant said. "Yeh look a lot like yer, dad, but you've got yer mum's eyes."~**

"That was the first time I heard that." Dorea said fondly, smiling at the man she could call her first friend. "And it most certainly wasn't the last time, either."

**~Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

**"I demand you must leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

**Dorea could tell it was a moot point, seeing as how Vernon was as wide as this man but only half his height. This man clearly liked her parents as well-~**

"O' course I did!" Hagrid said indignantly, glaring at the next line.

**~though why, she couldn't figure out. Who liked drunkards and whores, after all?~**

The room went silent, everyone's eyes on the rats that were frozen stiff. Even Crookshanks seemed to understand that his Mistress' friend's parents were seriously insulted, and just simply sat, staring icily at the three rats in front of him. Dorea nodded at her father, who transformed the Dursley-rats back into humans. Vernon and Marge were panting heavily, clutching their hearts. Petunia was simply frozen, breathing normally. She had been the one that Crookshanks had chased the least - the kneazle liked his rats nice and fat, thank you very much. Dora stood up, glaring at the three of them, and kicked each of them in the face. Each gasped as they clung their bleeding noses. Dorea didn't seem to care as people all around her started whispering. Her hair was being whipped around in a non-existent wind, lightning crackling around her hands, her eyes glowing eerily like the Killing Curse. Her lips curled back into a sadistic sneer as she grabbed Petunia by the throat, flinging her into Vernon and Marge with such a force that people could hear their bones crack upon impact.

"May whatever god you believe in have mercy on your souls, because the Dementors sure as Hell won't, and _neither will I_." she growled out, and the magic that made her appear so powerful, so dangerous, faded into a calm, warm glow around her. Fudge gulped, staring at the girl in horror. If she was right... If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned... Fudge hated to say this, but he actually feared for the Dark Lord's life, mind, and soul. Dorea Potter was... Frightening, to say the least.

Hagrid looked at Dorea nervously. The girl nodded politely at him to continue, and she sat in between her parents again. Fleur noticed at Bill pouted at the action, her rage soaring. _BILL WEASLEY WAS HER'S, DAMMIT!_

**~"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the bac of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it were made of rubber, and threw it into the corner of the room.~**

Victor whistled in appreciation.

"You really did make up for ruining that entrance." he said, impressed at the man for appearing so intimidating.

Remus and Lily, however, nodded at the idea of getting rid of that weapon.

"There's a good few hundred pounds down the drain." Lily muttered, making James stare at her in shock. Well, at least they were extremely expensive if they're _that_ dangerous!

No one bothered to help Vernon, Marge, or Petunia back to the settee. Dudley, however, glared back at his parents as they glared at him for not helping them once.

"There was nothing I could do..." he growled out, making them stop. He was right, even if he did manage to get them out of that maze, there was nothing that he could do to change them back.

**~Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.~**

Everyone snickered at the irony - that Vernon had just been turned back from being a rat when that statement was about to be said.

**~Anyway - Dorea," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat here fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it a some point, but it'll taste all right."~**

"It was delicious." Dorea said, salivating at the memory of the first birthday cake she received. "My first birthday cake..."

**~From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Dorea opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Dorea written on it in green icing.~**

"You recreated her birthday cake for her first birthday!" Lily clapped, making Dorea grin. So, in two ways, it was her first birthday cake.

"What's with all the green, though?" Ron asked. James shrugged.

"Dorea seemed to like the colour as an infant, and it looked good on her." he explained. With a sudden golden flash, a photo album appeared in his hands. James grinned - it was Dorea's baby photo album! He opened it, Dorea looking over curiously. "See, here she is in that adorable emerald green onesie that Minnie got her... Here she is tugging on Dumbledore and Hagrid's beards..." Bill joined the picture sharing, pointing out one with an icing covered baby.

"You really liked chocolate icing, sweety." he said, making Dorae burst into laughter. The three ignored everyone else as they shared memories with the young Lady Potter. Hagrid decided to let them have their fun as he continued reading.

**~Dorea looked up at the giant. She really meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to her mouth, and what she said instead was "Who are you?"~**

"Well, at least she _tried_ to be polite." Molly and Lily both huffed, then smiled as they watched Dorea tug on Bill's earring once again. James grinned as he pointed out a picture that made the pair burn bright red. With a wave of his wand, the picture was floating above the staff table, large enough for everyone to see clearly. It was a picture of a baby Dorea being rocked to sleep by Bill, who paused to kiss her forehead.

"_Aaaaaaaaaaw_, that's _so sweet_!" Ginny cooed, smiling at her older brother and her good friend. They were so cute together - and Bill was actually right, Dorea was an absolutely adorable baby.

Fleur, on the other hand, was absolutely furious. Bill looked so happy in that photograph, so loving towards Dorea... _He probably only sees her as a younger sister..._ her mind betrayed her._ That's why he loves her so much... At least try to get on her good side... You've already seen her scary side..._

Oh how wrong she was.

**~The giant chuckled.**

**"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."~**

"You don't know what that is, do you. Lily growled, looking over at her sister, who was nursing the bruises on her neck. _Now you know how my baby girl felt when you strangled her when she was 9._

**~He held out an enormous hand and shook Dorea's whole arm.~**

"Sorry 'bout that." Hagrid added to said girl. Dorea just waved it off.

"I'm used to it now, actually." she said simply. Victor nodded in understanding - he was the only other person, besides Dumbledore really, that was famous and had fans that would go nuts to try and see him.

**~"What about that tea, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."~**

"Hagrid! No drinking in front of my daughter!" James said, staring at the man in shock. Hagrid held up his hands in defeat.

"I only drank Butterbeer, an' it was only one bottle!" he said. James nodded reluctantly, it was still alcohol, but even first years could drink that and get away with it.

**~His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing, but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there.~**

"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PERFORM MAGIC!" Umbridge shrieked, making everyone jump. She had been so quiet that everyone had forgotten that she existed. "YOU WERE EXPELLED!"

Dumbledore was the one who stood up for his friend this time.

"Hagrid was expelled for something he did not do, and as such is allowed to carry a wand now. As for him performing magic then, I knew that if the Dursleys had neglected to follow my request then he would not only have difficulty getting to Dorea, but also convincing her that magic exists. As such, I gave him permission to use magic while he had Dorea in his possession - which was only supposed to last as long as they went to Gringotts, where Severus was supposed to meet them." he explained. Fudge nodded at Umbridge, saying that he had agreed to the circumstances in which Hagrid was allowed to perform magic, and the toad sat back down, seriously disappointed. She had been hoping to get the half-breed arrested and sent to Azkaban...

**~It filled the whole damp hut with a flickering light, and Dorea felt a warmth flow over her as if she'd sunken into a nice, hot bath.**

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of thins out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle,~**

"Huh?"

**~a squashy package of sausages,~**

"What?"

**~a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make some tea for himself and Dorea.~**

"Uh... Professor Hagrid?" a first year Hufflepuff asked, blushing when everyone looked at her. "H-How do you fit all that in your coat?" she asked innocently. Hagrid chuckled, and took off said coat. Jaws dropped when they saw it - it was, _quite literally,_ made of pockets. Pockets up the front, back, sides, sleeves, the inside front and the inside back. Seeing the shocked faces, Hagrid chuckled and turned back to the book. He finally managed to shock people, other than the first time the first years would see him he never got to do that!

**~Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausages. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six, fat, juicy, and ever-so slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't give anything he gives you, Dudley."~**

Ron rolled his eyes. "As if he _needs_ any more food!"

**~The giant chuckled darkly.**

**"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need any more fattenin', Dursley, don' worry."~**

Ron blinked while his family burst out laughing. He then grinned.

"Well, great minds think alike!" he said. Dorea sent him a look.

"Fluffy. Aragog." she listed, making Ron blanch. He slapped his hands to his hair.

"I'M GOING NUTS!" he shouted, making everyone, even Hagrid laugh. After about 10 minutes, Hagrid continued on.

**~He passed the sausages to Dorea, who was so hungry from Dudley and Uncle Vernon stealing her 'rations' earlier,~**

The Weasleys growled at the thought of those two stealing food from someone who actually needed it.

**~she ate them right away. She had never tasted anything so wonderful,~**

"Uh, Hagrid, did you make those sausages yourself?" Charlie asked warily, eying the Dursleys. _If Hagrid had..._

"Uh, yeah, why?" he asked, oblivious to the rage that ran through almost everyone. Hagrid's cooking was barely _edible_, and it was the best thing Dorea had eaten in 10 years. The poor Dorea Potter...

**~but she still couldn't take her eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't really know who you are."~**

"Oh, she is so polite!" Moly cooed, smiling at Dorea. She shared a look with Ron and Hermione - they were in for it when they got to the rule breaking. Hermione raised her hand, looking at Dumbledore.

"Uh, Professor Dumbledore?" she asked warily. Dumbledore nodded at her. "There are - uh - moments, in this book, that weren't, ah, punished for in the past - s-s-so points should've be removed and detentions should've be served, correct? Sine - since they've already passed by without notice?" she stammered. Dumbledore paused in thought before he nodded.

"I think that is acceptable, especially since this is invading privacy and conversations that teachers weren't supposed to find out about." he said, the logic preventing Umbridge or Snape from complaining. They were already finding out about what really happened, and without Dorea's permission, so it was only... Only... Fair. Snape and Umbridge both looked as thought they had eaten dragon dung.

**~The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He poured another mug full of the hot liquid for Dorea to drink. She took a heartful gulp of it - it was strong, and bitter without sugar or honey, but still very good.**

**"Call me Hagrid, everyone does," he said. "An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**

**"Err - _no_," said Dorea.~**

"You won't like that." McGonagall muttered, grinning at what Hagrid had told her he had done to Dudley. In the very least, it probably kept the boy away from Dorea for a good few years.

**~Hagrid looked shocked, an expression Dorea wasn't used to.**

**"Sorry," she added in quickly, hoping Hagrid wouldn't hit her like Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia would've for speaking like that.~**

"_YOU SAID THEY NEVER TOUCHED YOU_!" Bill roared, angry and hurt. Angry at the Dursleys for hurting Dorea, and hurt because Dorea hadn't told him the truth. Dorea looked down at her lap, ashamed.

"I-I..." she stuttered, tears stinging her eyes. She had made Bill angry at her, she wouldn't blame him for not wanting anything to do with her for a good while. To her immense surprise, Bill scooped her up and curled up around her, silently sobbing into her black hair. "I'm s-s-sorry for lying..." she managed, making Bill cling to her harder. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing. _His baby girl, his Rea, his sweety..._ He had failed her, he failed to protect her like he swore he would that day, watching over her from above her cradle as she was sleeping. And here she was, apologizing for something that didn't really bother him, like it was her fault that he was upset. _That_ just hurt him the most.

Sirius and Remus looked almost as bad as Bill. Their cub/pup had been so badly abused that she thought Hagrid would hit her, Hagrid, the most gentle person they knew. The Weasleys were staring, shocked. The last time Bill had cried was when he found out that Lily and James were killed, leaving Dorea an orphan. After that, he had shed no tears and now, 14 years later, he was weeping into Dorea's hair, clinging to her like a child would a teddy bear.

Vernon and Marge sneered at the red-headed man._ Real men don't cry,_ they thought darkly. _No real man would cry and cling to a girl, either._

Hagrid, deciding to distract everyone so Bill could calm down, continued reading.

**~"'Sorry'?" barked Hagrid,~**

"I RESENT THAT!" Sirius shouted, trying to break the tense atmosphere. Everyone turned to him, confused - Fleur had been glaring at Dorea for comforting her Bill, Victor had looked like he was about to kill the Dursleys, Lily and James had been sitting there awkwardly, trying to figure out what to do, the Weasleys had been staring at Bill in shock, while the rest of the Hall had listened to Hagrid rather than make things more awkward for the eldest Weasley. The students in the Twins' year, the seventh years, had remembered Bill as Head Boy, and had told the younger years that if anyone so much as mocked the Curse Breaker then they would have them to deal with. Bill had been a fair Head Boy, not caring if someone was in Slytherin or if they were in Hufflepuff, he treated them all the same - gave excessive warnings, helped people out when they needed it, and let it slide when people broke rules with pranks. Usually he would even join them, making everyone adore the Head Boy of that year.

Draco Malfoy, however, decided to ignore these warnings and exchanged mocks directed at Bill with Pansy Parkinson. Both these two were eyed by Charles Warrington, who was actually on good terms with the Weasley Twins. While on the Quidditch pitch they practically tried to kill each other, off the pitch they were somewhat-good pals, and Warington could clearly remember Bill scolding the Twins for trying to hurt him with a prank. After their apology and their offer to help them prank Filch, they had form a bond of sorts that couldn't really be explained. He nudged his girlfriend, Margarett Bulstrode, and pointed at the pair. She understood what he was saying, and continued the chain until the last of the Slytherin seventh years were all glaring icily at Malfoy and Parkinson. What would be a good punishment for them - Warrington grinned as it came to him. Oh, that would put quite the damper on their arrogance.

**~turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows.~**

"I didn' think tha' was possible fer them, they were so big." Hagrid said, making most of the Hall chuckle.

**~"It's them tha' should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters, but I never thought tha' yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer crying out loud! Didn' yeh ever wonder where yer parents learnt it all?"**

**"All what?" asked Dorea curiously. All her life she had been told her parents were no-goods that were unemployed because they either couldn't stay out of everyone's pants or couldn't stay sober long enough.~**

"I think you're confusing me for you when you were in highschool, Petunia." Lily said coldly, glaring at her older sister. "And my husband for that boyfriend that took your virginity."

Petunia winced at the mention of that boyfriend. He had gotten drunk and died in a car crash the day after that happened, and she had never told anyone why he had gotten drunk. It was because he found out that, after she slept with him, she had turned around and slept with his best friend.

**~"ALL WHAT?"~**

Almost everyone jumped as Hagrid yelled.

**~Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"~**

At this moment, a screech from the ceiling made everyone stop what they were doing and look up. An eagle owl was soaring in, flying down in circles until it came to a perch of Dorea's knee, sticking out its leg so she could take the letter attached. Once the letter was removed, the owl took off again, not waiting long enough for her to write a reply. She opened it quickly, reading it through at the speed Hermione read at. She raised an eyebrow.

"The Potter Account Manager wants to meet me tomorrow at 6." she said simply. Dumbledore, having heard her, nodded.

"You and Mister Weasley may leave tomorrow at 5:30 for this meeting." he announced, giving Dorea permission to leave the school grounds. Umbridge gritted her teeth. _Stupid half-blood..._

Hagrid coughed into his hand, bringing the attention back to him and the book. He continued reading.

**~He had leapt to his feet, anger shaking through his body. In his anger, he seemed to grow and fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall, almost like Dorea was doing against the sofa.~**

"Er, sorry 'bout scarin' yeh, Dorea." Hagrid muttered. Dorea smiled as best she could while Bill was still sobbing.

"It's really no big deal, I know now that you'd never hurt me intentionally." she said. Those words made Bill cry harder - she had actually thought that Hagrid would _hurt_ her? Kind, gentle, protective _Hagrid_? Dorea nuzzled her head into the crook of Bill's neck, hugging him tightly. There was nothing she could say that would comfort him - what could she say?_ 'Sorry that I was abused all my life and lied to you about it, so would you please stop crying?'_ Yeah, that would end up pleasantly.

**~Do you mean to tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "That this girl - this girl! - knows nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?!"~**

"Hagrid, you're making her sound stupid." Bill mumbled through a face full of hair. He finally managed to pull his head apart from Dorea's - his eyes were bright red and puffy, red staining the tear tracks. He didn't uncurl from around Dorea, or let her go. He would never let her go it he could again.

**~Dorea thought that was going a bit too far. She had been to school, after all, and she was only the best in her year.~**

"Told you." Bill chuckled. Dorea swatted his head.

"No one disagreed with you!"

**~"I know some things," she said. "I can, you know, do maths and stuff. Really well, too."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

**"What world?"~**

James winced, as did Lily.

"Hearing you not know about our world... It's actually _pretty_ painful." he said. Dorea smirked.

"Up until Madam Malkins, I never heard of Quidditch." she said, earning cries of "BLASPHEMY!" from all her fellow Quidditch players. Malfoy smirked a little at the unintentional recognition - he was the one to first mention the most famous wizard sport to her! _Well, the only wizard sport..._

**~Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.~**

"Uh oh..." Sirius said, sharing a look with Remus. They had seen Hagrid explode once - it really wasn't that pleasant. And it hurt the ears.

**~"DURSLEY!"~**

Here, Hagrid boomed it so loudly that the glass seemed to shake in its panes.

**~he boomed.~**

Remus glared at Hagrid. If this kept up, he was going to go deaf in a matter of hours, seeing as that was about how long it usually took them the finish a chapter. He quickly did the math in his head. They were reading about 4 or 5 chapters a day... And seeing how thick three of the books were, and thinking about how long those chapters might be, he calculated that they might be done by... Valentines Day. Including lesson days and such in there as well, after all. They were at Hogwarts, they couldn't very well keep the students out of classes forever.

**~Uncle Vernon, who had gone an almost Dorea pale,~**

"You don't seem that pale to me." Victor said, inspecting Dorea. She gave him a look.

"You saw what I did for the First Task last year. Think about what keeps me in the sun." she practically spelt out. Krum's eyes widened and he nodded - Quidditch players usually had tans from playing in the sun all the time, the clothes were enchanted to prevent sunburns and to even the tan out so they didn't have awkward tan lines. "Add in that I had been locked in my cupboard for three weeks, and I was pretty pale." she added in. Victor looked furious.

"Your _cupboard_?" he growled. Hermione nodded.

"She slept there until she got her first Hogwarts letter. They were afraid that someone would find out she was sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs, so they moved her to her cousin's second bedroom." she spat out. Fleur, who was eavesdropping, couldn't help but feel a little bad for the girl. As annoying as she was, no one deserved to live in a cupboard until they were 11.

**~whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."~**

"Those are rare!" she said, talking about the Mimbulus Mimbletonia, a cactus-like plant that, when poked with something sharp, spurted out Stink Sap. Neville flushed at the glare he was getting from Dorea - it wasn't his fault that the sap spurted out over everything!

**~Hagrid stared wildly at Dorea, unnerving her.**

**"But yeh must know abou' yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean, tey're famous. You're famous."**

**"What? My- my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"~**

"You just heard that you're famous, and you're asking about your parents." Charlie said, fondly shaking his head. Dorea's humility knew no bounds. She glared at Charlie.

"For once I wasn't hearing lies about my parents, excuse me for being more curious about their fame than my own!" she snapped, making Charlie wince at her tone. She might have been taking lessons from Molly Weasley, same with Hermione and Ginny. He cracked up at the thought - _"Now, girls, when you're angry at a man, your narrow your eyes like this, and snap at them like this. If that doesn't work, just simply follow what I am about to show you."_

**~Yeh don't know... Yeh don't know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his messy hair, fixing Dorea with a bewildered stare. She couldn't help but feel as though he was seeing right through her.**

**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he asked finally.~**

Bill cracked a smile.

"Yer a lizard, Rea." he whispered in her ear, making Dorea fall over in laughter. He mimicked Hagrid perfectly!

After giving the hysterical girl some odd stares for a few minutes, Hagrid turned back to the book. No matter how well he knew her, he could never tell what was going on with his friend.

**~Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.~**

"Oh, did that wrackspurt go from your throat to your brain?" Luna asked, making Ginny cover her hand in laughter. While she did make fun of her friend behind her back, Luna was always a real good source of entertainment.

**~"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you from telling that girl anything!" Dorea stared blankly at the obese man, seriously doubting that Uncle Vernon could do anything to stop Hagrid.**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him, and when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.~**

"How dare you lie to her in such a way." Dumbledore muttered, glaring icily at the Dursleys. Perhaps his punishment was far too light...

**~"You never told her? Never told her what was in the letter Professor Dumbledore left fer her? I was there! An' you've been keeping it from her all these years?"**

**"Kept what from me?" asked Dorea eagerly. It was obvious now that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had been lying to her all her life - perhaps the biggest lie had been about how her parents died?~**

"Spot on!" Mad-Eye said, grinning at Dorea. She felt a little unnerved by that grin - it wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing the witness. "You'd be a damn good Auror or Unspeakable, girlie!" he said. Umbridge's face turned a bright pink.

"I think you'll find that the Ministry does not hire people with criminal records-" she was cut off by Dorea.

"Oh yeah, but the Minister's advisors are Death Eaters who bribed their way out of Azkaban." she said mockingly, making Umbridge's face turn from pink to red.

"Once again, Lord Malfoy-" Dorea cut her off again.

"Was never checked for traces of the Imperius Curse in his system. Essentially this government has let dozens of terrorists walk free. I wonder how the Prime Minister and Queen would take it if I brought the matter to them...?" Dorea trailed off in thought. That was actually a _really_ good idea... Umbridge and Fudge both paled. _Please don't, please don't..._

**~"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Dorea rolled her eyes. Yelling didn't stop Hagrid from bedding that rifle like it was a pipe cleaner, now did it?**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp in horror.~**

"Bloody drama queen." Snape muttered, getting odd looks from those who heard him.

**~"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Dorea - yer a witch."~**

". . . Way to be blunt, Hagrid." Hermione said slowly, still trying to figure out how someone could boil their own head. Wouldn't the pain receptors scream at them to stop...? Ah, but then again, that didn't exactly stop people from self-harm, now did it?

**~There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be hear.**

**"That's not very nice." Dorea huffed.~**

"That's what I said!" Lily said, grinning at her daughter. Hermione smiled shyly.

"So did I." she added in. Dorea smiled at her best friend and her mother, glad that she had something more in common with the both of them.

Snape felt his heart squeeze. Dorea was more like Lily than he thought...

**~"It's not an insult, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower.. "Yer mum was one too, and a thumpin' good'un, I'd say. Once yeh've been trained up, it's a fair guess you'd be as good as 'her. With a mum an' dad like yers, what else could yeh be? An' I reckon its abou' time yeh read yer letter." Dorea stretched out ger hand to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green.**

**To Ms. D. Potter **

**The Floor **

**Hut-on-the-Rock **

**The Sea~**

"I still can't get past how accurate those are..." Dan muttered, shaking his head. Magic was really a wonderful thing - he also really wished he could perform it.

**~She pulled out the letter and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)~**

"If Fudge has been doing what complaints have been saying he's been doing, then those titles will be returned and publics apologies will be made towards yourself and Lady Potter, Professor." Madam Bones promised, glaring at Fudge. She had always been suspicious as to how Lucius Malfoy and his close friends had gotten away from getting trials, and it she f evidence that they were all bribing Fudge, she would make sure that all of them were rightfully trialed, and then sent to the Goblin Nation for their jail time. Voldemort wouldn't dare go against the Goblin Nation, and if the man was back... Fudge's reputation would be down the drain.

**~Dear Ms. Potter,**

**We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
Please find enclosed a lift of all necessary books and equipment.****Term begins on September 1.  
We await your owl no later than July 31.  
****Yours sincerely,  
****Minerva McGonagall,  
****Deputy Headmistress.**

**Questions exploded inside Dorea's head like fireworks and she couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes, she stammered, "What do they mean, they await my owl?"~**

"You just find out that you're a witch, and that's the first question you ask?" Hermione asked in shock. Dorea glared.

"The letter was due that day, and it was the last thing I read in the letter!" she said. Everyone nodded at that explanation - it was reasonable, after all, to want to know how your letter was going to get there to confirm that you're going to the school.

**~"Gallopin' Gorgons,"~**

"Mind if we borrow that?" Fabian and Gideon asked, both grinning ear to ear. McGonagall's face paled as she remembered exactly how big trouble makers those two had been in school. She slammed her head against the table at the realization that the Weasley Twins, the Prewett Twins, the Marauders, and the Golden Trio were all staying in the same area of the castle. She glared at those who sent her questionable looks.

"All the troublemakers we've had trouble with. All in Gryffindor." she spelt out. Suddenly, Flitwick and Sprout laughed at their colleague's misfortune, while Snape paled. And none of those groups liked him.

**~that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse,~**

Snorts sounded from the Slytherin table.

**~and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled out an owl - a real, live, rather ruffle-looking owl -~**

"Before anyone gets on about animal abuse, I checked in on those types of owls summer before third year, and they're specially bred to live in those sorts of conditions." Dorea said quickly, seeing the looks on the misfits gang's faces, as well as Hermione's. The animal lovers calmed at the mention, glad that Hagrid wouldn't knowingly abuse an animal.

**~a long quill, and a roll of parchment.**

**With his tongue between his teeth, he scribbled a note that Dorea could clearly read upside down;~**

"That's incredible, I can barely read it rightside up!" Dumbledore exclaimed, making Hagrid blush.

"The quills keep breakin' in meh hands..." he muttered as his explanation, turning back to the book. He ignored the sniggers from the Slytherin table, he had nevre really liked most of those students anyway.

**~Dear Professor Dumbledore,  
****Given Dorea her letter.  
****Taking her to Diagon Alley tomorrow.  
****Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.  
****Hagrid.~**

"Yeah, that's a typical letter from Hagrid. Oh look, here's Hagrid meeting you for the first time!" James said, moving the photo album over so Dorea could look at the photo. She grinned at the sight - her baby-self was on Hagrid's shoulder, a panicking James and a laughing Lily in the background.

**~Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl into the storm.~**

"... I can't defend that." Dorea admitted, looking over the photo album. Baby-Dorea with Bill and Charlie, Baby-Dorea with a face covered in icing, baby-Dorea sleeping on James' chest, baby-Dorea piggy-backing on Padfoot, baby-Dorea clinging to Bill like her life depended on it... She _was_ a really cute baby. Oh, there was baby-Dorea on a training broom, knocking over a vase!

**~Then he came back and sat down as though this was just as normal as talking on the telephone.~**

"It is, for wizards and witches." Hermione told the muggles, and Burbage took note of the muffle invention. It was pretty common, but they were improving telephones and making them smaller to use. It would be worth going over.

**~Dorea quickly realised her mouth was hanging open, and closed it quickly.~**

"So sweet and innocent." Molly cooed. Dorea poked Bill's arm,

"We might want to move away from her when the rule-breaking comes along." she muttered, making Bill hang his head.

"How bad?" he muttered. Dorea smiled sheepishly.

"We may or may not have been on the verge of expulsion... Multiple times." she whispered, making Bill gawk at her in shock. _Multiple times_? You would think that the _first time_ she would learn her lesson. "Though, most of the time we never got caught." she added, seeing the 25 year old's face. Bill just shook his head, pressing his forehead to Dorea's.

"You really _are_ a piece of work, aren't you?" he whispered back, giving her an Eskimo kiss. Those that knew Bill well smiled at the action - it meant that he really liked her, and they were pretty sure that he at least had a crush on her. Only thing was, they didn't know if he knew yet.

**~"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at the moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but now looking extremely angry at the pair near the fire. He moved into the firelight.**

**"She's not going." he said.~**

"Don't you ever give up?" Arthur whined, making everyone chuckle or giggle at the sound. It was really strange, hearing that from the Weasley patriarch.

**~Hagrid grunted.**

**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop 'er," he said.**

**"A what?" asked Dorea, very interested.~**

"At least she's _interested_ in the wizarding world."

**~"A Muggle," said Hagrid. "It's what we call non-magic folk like 'em. An' it's yer bad luck yeh grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."~**

"Both figuratively an' literally." Hagrid added, making many in the Hall snort in laughter.

**~We swore when we took her in we'd put a stop to that rubbish, said Uncle Vernon. "Swore we'd stamp it out of her! Witch indeed!"~**

"Stamping out a wizard or witch's magic only destroys contact with the magical core, making their magic completely unstable and highly dangerous - at times, it can even become lethal." Dumbledore said gravely, thinking back to Arianna. Umbridge froze, thinking back to Dumbledore's anger last chapter at the idea of stamping out the Potter bratlette's magic. Had... Had Dumbledore known someone who's magic had been stamped out?

**~"You _knew_?" said Dorea, completely shocked. "You knew that I'm a - a witch?"~**

"Of course they knew, it was in the letter!" Dumbledore growled out, glaring icily at the Dursleys. The words of Madam Pomfrey echoed over in his head. _5 and a half feet of red and black..._ All because she was a witch? Were Blood Wards really worth the chance of Dorea being killed by her relatives?

**~"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. Dorea turned to glare at her. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister~**

"How dare you call Lily dratted, you child abusing bitch!" Remus growled, Moony screaming for their blood.

**~being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that - that school - and came back home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn turning teacups into rats.~**

"The teacup was accidental magic when I was 9 when you were making fun of me because of my choice of friends, and the frog spawn in your shampoo was because you insulted James when I introduced him to mum and dad!" Lily exclaimed, glaring at her older sister. Suddenly, Dudley turned to his mother.

"So you hate magic because Aunt Lily would use it to get back at you for being a low-bred, bitchy runt?" he asked, stunning the adults into silence. Suddenly, Dorea stood up on the sofa, applauding her cousin. She was quickly joined by the Weasleys and the misfit gang, followed by the Lions, Badgers, the Ravens joins slowly, and the Slytherins laughed at the muggles' faces.

"Nice one, Big-D!" she cheered, grinning. Dudley smiled at Dorea, feeling more like he was being accepted. Dumbledore smiled at the way Dorea was treating her cousin - they may not have had the greatest of childhoods together, but at least they were making up for it, however slowly it was.

Hagrid turned back to the book when the applause faded.

**~I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"~**

"As they should be - it's bigots like you that are the freaks!" James growled out. If there was one thing he hated more than Voldemort, it was the bigots that made him.

**~She stopped to draw a deep breath and then continued ranting on. With narrowed eyes, Dorea could tell she had been wanting to say this all for years now.~**

"Probably since I got my Hogwarts letter." Lily shrugged. James pulled his wife into a hug, no one should have to live with someone like that for a sibling. Especially not his Lilypad.

**~"Then she met that Potter at school o, and they left and got married and had you,~**

"The greatest blessing of our lives." James said happily, smiling at Dorea. Dorea looked down at her lap, blushing. In all honesty, she wasn't really used to the idea that her parents, that she's never known, are sitting here, in front of her, alive and well. She was really good at hiding things like that, she had learnt those skills living with the Dursleys. If she would show anything other than acceptance with them, they would give her a whack over the head with a frying pan Aunt Petunia's job, of course. One would be surprised with how quickly someone can learn thanks to fear.

**~and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as -abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up, as we were landed with you!"~**

Most of the women in the Hall gasped in horror. Dorea nuzzled her head into Bill's neck, trying to find comfort. Even Fleur, who hated the sight of it, couldn't blame her. That was a horrible way to find out how your mother really died!

"Th-that was how you found out?" Fabien asked, horrified that someone could be so cruel to a child. First, you lie about how their parents died and make them your personal slave. Then, when they find out that they're magical, when you really should've told them all along, you go and tell them in the most tactless way how their parents really died. Poor Dorea...

**~Dorea had gone very white, from a mix of horror and rage. As soon as she found her voice, she said in a dead, flat voice: "Blown up? You told me that my parents died in a _car_ _crash_."**

**"CAR CRASH!"~**

Everyone jumped, looking at Hagrid. His eyes were narrowed in rage, clearly he was re-feeling the anger that he felt that night while he was reading this.

**~roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttle back to their corner. "How could a _car crash_ kill Lily and James Potter?~**

"He's got a point, we both know how to drive. Really well, too." Lily muttered, cuddling into James' chest. Snape looked at the happy couple, feeling sick and depressed.

**~It's an outrage!~**

There were many cheers of agreement, and Dorea could've sworn she heard someone from the Hufflepuff table shout "SMITE THEM!"

**~A scandal! Dorea Potter not knowin' her own story when every child in our world knows 'er name!"**

**"But why? What happened to make them know it?" Dorea asked urgently, feeling a sudden and powerful urge to know the truth.~**

Hermione and Ron groaned, remembering those urges, and how they got in so much trouble because of them - they also got a ton of House Points in the end, but oh well.

**~The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He suddenly looked very anxious, and slightly peaky, too.**

**"I never expected this," he said in a low, worried voice "I had no idea - none of us did - when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh might not know, he never even thought - Ah, Dorea, I don't really know if I'm the right person to tell yeh this... But someone's gotta, yeh can't just go off ter Hogwarts not knowin', that would be a right mess..."~**

"That really would've been." Dorea said, looking at Ron. If Hagrid didn't tell her, then Ron would've, and in all honesty, Hagrid was much more tactful than Ron would have been.

**~He threw a really nasty look at the Dursleys before he began.**

**"Well, it's best that yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - if you see him, you could probably ask Dumbledore more 'bout it - and mind, I can't tell yeh everything'; it's a great myst'ry, parts o' it..."**

**He sat down, stared at into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, in a low, somber voice: "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don' even know his name, everyone in our world does-"**

**"Who?"**

**Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

**"Why not?"~**

"Excellent question, Dorea." Dumbledore said. So many muggleborns just simply went along with the whole He-Whose-Name-Must-Be-Hyphenated idea, when really they have no idea as to why. All they know is that people fear the name, and they learn from that fear.

**~"Gulpin' gargoyles,~**

Fred and George wrote that one down for later usage.

**~Dorea, people are _still _terrified Blimey, this is really difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... Bad. As bad as you can go, and then some. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."~**

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Dorea mumbled under her breath, glaring at nothing. _Damn bastard got Hagrid expelled, used him as a scapegoat..._

**~Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

**"Could you write it down?" Dorea suggested seriously. She wanted to know the name of the man who, if her suspicions were correct, probably murdered her parents.~**

"And I know his real name well. Filthy, hypocritical halfblood..." Dorea muttered. Theodore's head shot up.

"You-Know-Who's a _halfblood_?" he exclaimed, shocked. How many times had his father said that the Dark Lord's blood was the purest of them all, just simply because of his power and heritage? Dorea nodded.

"His mum was a really weak witch, while his dad was a rich muggle that abandoned his pregnant wife when he found out that she was a witch. The first murders Voldemort committed," there were multiple flinches throughout the room at the name. "Were his father and paternal grandparents." Dumbledore felt the need to pipe in.

"He framed his maternal uncle for the murders as well, seeing as how his uncle and maternal grandfather absolutely hated the muggle family, and all people that weren't purebloods, for that matter." he added, making the Slytherins feel slightly sick and enraged. Their parents were serving a filthy halfblooded bastard that murdered and framed his own family? Perhaps, just _simply_ perhaps, they were in the wrong about their beliefs as well, if someone who put himself above family believed in them as well...

Hagrid continued.

**~"Nah - can't spell it, from a different language. All right - _Voldemort_."~**

Hagrid shuddered violently at the name. Fleur's eye twitched.

"Zat is French for Flight of Deaz!" she exclaimed, angered that the Dark Bastard would use french for his name. Everyone that was friends with Hagrid looked impressed.

"She actually got his to say his name." Remus muttered to Sirius, both shaking their head fondly. Dorea really was a child that defied impossibilities.

**~Hagrid shudded. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this - this wizard, 'bout twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid,~**

_Pettigrew_, sounded through the minds of the Order, all of them clutching something tightly in pure anger at the traitor.

**~some just wanted a bit o' his power,~**

_Bellatrix LeStrange_, thought Neville, his face dangerously pale in anger.

**~'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Dorea, real dark. Did' know who ter trust, didn' dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up ter him - and he killed most o' 'em, too. Horribly, real painfully. One o' the only safe places left were Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who were 'fraid of, an' for good reason, he's a bloody good man, an' real strong too. He didn' dare try takin' the school, jus' not then, anyway.~**

"Do you think he'll try this time?" Ron asked quietly, making those who heard him pale. _Would he?_

**~"Now, yer mum an' dad were as god a witch an' wizard I ever knew. Head boy an' girl in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before...~**

"Oh, he _tried_ to get the Potters on his side, but we spat in his face and took down most of the grunt Death Eaters. Mum and dad were really amazing to watch that day, took Voldemort and LeStrange herself to take them down." James said, thinking fondly of his parents, about what heroes they were. Dorea looked at her father in shock - was that why she was named after her grandmother?

**~Probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.~**

"Nah, he thought that the Potters would see his side as the side of justice. Potters don't care about 'Light' or 'Dark', we only fight for what's best for the wizarding community. For the past few hundred years, that's been the Light side. Because of that, now the Potters are thought of as a 'Light' family. Other than that, though, Potters are traditionally Gray, neutral." James said, explaining this to Dorea. He knew that this would be important for her, if she wanted to survive this war she would need to know 'Dark' spells so as to destroy more of the Death Eaters than they could the Light side.

**~"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... Maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way.~**

"_After _whatmum and dad_ did_? He wanted me dead more than anything, I was a reminder to the elderly couple that destroyed more than half his army." James said, shocking the entire Hall. Charlus and Dorea Potter had defeated _more than half_ of Voldemort's Army? "Of course, he wanted me dead to repay for the Death Eaters they killed. Lily was a muggleborn, so she was already on his hit list The fact that I had an heiress to continue on the Potter name just really ticked him off." James added in, making jaws drop. Two elderly magicals had killed more than half of Voldemort's Army. The thought... It was unimaginable. _That was the power of the Potters?_

Hagrid decided it was best to continue.

**~All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you were all living, on Halloween ten years ago. He came ter yer house an' - an' -"**

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with the sound of a foghorn.**

**"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh just couldn' find... Anyway..."~**

"Aw, thank you, Hagrid!" Lily said, smiling. "But I think the Weasleys are just as nice as we are."

All the members of that family suddenly had bright red ears at the compliment.

**~"You-Know-Who kill 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry o' that night - he tried to kill yeh, too. Wanted ter make a clean job o' it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then.~**

"You were his target from the beginning." James muttered. "I think... I think he wanted to raise you to be his Dark Lady. Either that or prevent another Potter from challenging him and destroying his forces."

Dorea paled and looked disgusted at the thought - hadn't Voldemort offered that position to her _multiple times_ since she was 11 years old?

**~But he couldn' do it. Never wondered how yeh got that mark on yer forehead? That's no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it couldn' work on you. That's why yer famous, Dorea. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, an' he killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of' the age - the McKinnons,~**

Sirius looked as though he was about to cry. _Marlene..._

Remus patted his shoulder, knowing how Sirius acted at the mention of his lost love. And they had been engaged when Voldemort got her, too.

**~the Bones,~**

Amelia and Susan both blew their noses at the reminder of the lost family members.

**~the Prewetts~**

Fabian and Gideon both walked over and hugged their older sister, seeing as how she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

**~- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."~**

"Which is why I hate my fame - I was an infant, I never did anything. And yet people praise me for surviving something that I really shouldn't." Dorea ranted, making Bill whack her harshly on the head.

"Don't you ever say something like that, _ever again_." Bill said, his voice low. Dorea looked down at her knees, she really didn't want to hurt Bill, and it looks like her comment did just that.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. Bill smiled at her, pecking her forehead, right on her scar.

"I forgive you." he whispered back. Dorea's eyes widened, no one had ever kissed her scar before. It felt... _Nice_, she decided, thinking of a way to describe the subtle tingling feeling coming from the scar.

**~Something very painful was going on in Dorea's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, saying how she was the only one to survive Voldemort,~**

Multiple flinches at the word, Hagrid being one of them. Dorea smirked - she got an idea on how to prove exactly how much that flinching annoyed her. She would need some help, though.

**~she saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than she ever remembered it before - and she remembered something else, for the first time in her life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.~**

Which Dorea mimicked, throwing her head back and everything. Everyone, especially those who had heard that laugh before, shuddered in horror, while Ginny froze, memories of Tom Riddle and the Chamber floating through her mind. She knew Dorea didn't mean to make her remember, that it was accidental, but still, it gave her goose bumps at how well the ravenette could mimic the Dark Lord Voldemort.

**~Hagrid was watching her sadly.**

**"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought you ter this lot..."~**

"Only worse place to put her could've been a Death Eater's house." Arthur grumbled.

**~"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Dorea jumped and glared at the man; she had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there.~**

"It was really hard to do, actually." Dora commented, making her friends laugh.

**~Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have gotten back the little courage he had. He was glaring at Hagrid, his fists were clenched tightly.**

**"Now you listen here, girl," he snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured-"~**

"IF I FIND OUT YOU LAID A HAND ON HER YOU ARE _DEAD MEAT,_ DURSLEY!" Bill roared, glaring at the obese man in question while clinging to Dorea. He was still hurt at the idea that Dorea was abused, he just hoped that it wasn't too badly. But judging by the looks on Lily and James' faces, it was really bad.

**~and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and~**

Hagrid's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched in anger, his eyes only on Vernon Dursley, who appeared to be trying to hide in the cushions of the settee.

**~and the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end-"~**

"Bill," Dorea whispered. "You'd better hold me back, I'm about to st strangle him. Or, you're welcome to help me." she growled out. Bill looked from her to Vernon, who was looking around anxiously, waiting for the first attack.

To Dorea's great surprise, he let go of her.

She didn't need a second chance.

She practically flew over the sofa, making a beeline for Vernon like a bat outta Hell. Vernon blinked, and Dorea's heel met his face. He was flung from the settee, Marge standing up to fight the 15 year old. Suddenly, all the years and effects of flying around of a broom going at close to 120 miles an hour and dodging flying balls of lead moving at 75 miles an hour became clear to everyone. They could see every lean muscle on her body, and suddenly her stature at 5'3" seemed much more threatening than it did when she was curled up in Bill's lap. She cocked her arm back, her body tense, and punched Marge right in the gut. Her arm sunk into the woman's stomach up until the middle of her forearm, and Marge was sent flying up and into the air, landing behind her nephew. Everyone's eyes widened, especially the eyes of those who knew fighting like the back of their hand. Dudley's eyes widened in absolute horror - Dorea could really fight, and yet she always let him and his friends beat the snot out of her. She just... _Accepted_ it, and treated it like it was nothing. Michaela's jaw dropped - Dorea could become a world class boxer with that right straight, she didn't want to face her hooks or uppercuts.

It was at this point that Vernon attempted to stand up, only for Dorea to trap his skull under her foot.

"I think," she started, her eyes flashing angrily. "That justice should be served."

James gulped - that was exactly what his parents said before they killed all those Death Eaters. Dorea grabbed her uncle and lifted him by the back of his collar, her free hand cackling with magic.

"I, Lady Dora Lillian Violetta Potter, name you, Vernon Peter Dursley, a slave to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. My claim to this being you have continuously abused the Head of House since she was an infant, misused the money given to you for taking care of her for your own greed, insulting the deceased member of the House of Potter, and attempting to starve the Head of House to death. How do you plead?" she asked, her voice void of all emotion. Pureblood jaws dropped - if Magic allowed Dorea to make her uncle a slave to the family, then all she just said was true. And, since Vernon was 'Head' of the Dursley family, that meant his wife, sister, and son would be her slaves as well. Vernon struggled in Dorea's grasp, attempting to reach behind him in order to get her.

"LET ME GO, YOU STUPID BRAT!" he bellowed. Dorea raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow - she did care about her appearance, after all(in other words, Lavender and Parvati did it).

"Is that a plead for guilty?" she asked. Vernon's face burned a bright red.

"OF COURSE IT ISN'T!" he screamed. Dorea nodded.

"The accused pleads not guilty." she said, making everyone stare at her in surprise. If this was a case, with her being the accuser, Dursley being the accused, who was the jury and judge? "May Magick judge you of these crimes."

Cries of rage and denial rang throughout the hall. Dorea Potter couldn't be serious - magic couldn't think! It was just a tool, something for wizards and witches to utilize! There was nothing that would happen now, seeing as how she had just called on nothing to judge her uncle. Those that shouted in denial or rage were silenced in absolute horror when a bright, crimson bolt of lightning came crashing down onto Vernon Dursley. Those who knew of the Old Ways, when magicals would honour and respect Magick and thank it for allowing them to use it simply confirmed that the Old Ways were true. Magick was an ambient being, it responded to Dorea's request.

When the bright light faded, everyone was shocked to see a Slave Brand on Vernon's back - and _only_ Vernon's. Dorea dropped the man, a smirk on her face.

"Vernon Peter Dursley, you are now a slave to the House of Potter. You cannot lay a hand on any member of the Potter family or harm them in any way, half of all your money now, and forever will, belong to the House of Potter. You may not speak ill of a member of the House of Potter without feeling the desire to beat yourself. Should you disobey these rules, especially those concerning harm, your body will be drained of all the magic that flows through you. This is the most painful form of execution a human being can suffer. Make your decisions wisely." she warned, dropping her uncle to the floor and making her way back to the sofa. Nobody moved as Dorea passed them, choosing to sit in between her father and Bill. She smiled at the two like she had just simply threatened him, not made his a slave. James stared at his daughter in shock.

"Where did you learn about Slave Branding?" he asked, terrified. Slave Branding was a way of making another person - or family, if the Head was branded - serve someone. The Dark Mark was a perfect example of a Slave Brand, it gave Voldemort access to his Death Eater's power, limited access to their minds, and he could summon them or torture them through it. The Potter Slave Brand, instead of being a snake coming out of a skull, was a sword impaling a shadowy skull - representing that Potters will go to any lengths to destroy evil.

Dorea shrugged. "The Ring." she said, making James calm down. He was worried that she had gone too deep into the Grimoire too quickly - many Potters have gone insane because of that, the magic of the Grimoire being too powerful for someone to take in all at once.

"Promise me that you'll only go one chapter in the Grimoire at a time?" he asked. Dorea blinked and nodded, not completely understanding.

Bill nodded at Hagrid, telling him to continue so as to draw everyone's attention from the fact that Dorea now had a slave for an uncle. Hagrid complied, albeit half-heartedly.

**~But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa a drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley - I'm warning you - just one more word..."**

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant,~**

"DO IT! _DO_ IT!_ DO IT_!" Fred, George and Ginny all chanted. Dorea laughed at the three of them - they really were more alike than anyone thought. Devious minds, the three of them had.

**~Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

**"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right to the floor. Dorea, meanwhile, still had questions to ask - hundreds of them.**

**"But what happened to Vol-, sorry, I mean, You-Know-Who?"~**

"YOU DIDN'T SAY HIS _NAME_?" Ron shouted, looking at Dorea in shock. She shrugged.

"I could tell it made Hagrid uncomfortable, so I didn't." she said simply. Ron's eyes narrowed.

"Why don't you do that for me?" he asked. If it wouldn't look incredibly strange, he would've pouted, and his voice betrayed that fact. Dorea smiled angelically.

"I know that it annoys you, and that's why I don't hyphenate his name." she said simply. James laughed at his daughter, while Ron flushed and spluttered in a mix of confusion and a bit of anger.

**~"Good question, Dorea. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill yeh. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... He was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go?**

**"Some say he died.~**

"HE _DID_!"

"God, would someone _shut that Toad up_?"

**~Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.~**

"He didn't."

"LIES!"

"SHUT. _UP_."

**~Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time like, but I don' believe it. People who were on his side came back ter ours. Some o' 'em came outta trances. Don' reckon they could've done it if he was comin' back.**

**"Most of us reckon he's still out there, somewhere, but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on.~**

"Better believe it, 'cause that's what happened."

"MISS POTTER, IF YOU DO NOT KEEP TELLING THESE LIES I WILL PLACE YOU IN DETENTION!"

"Is freedom of speech now being removed, too? And it's Lady Potter, by the way."

**~There was somethin' goin' on that night he dan't counted on - I dunno what it was, no ones does - but somethin' about yeh stumped him, all right."**

**Hagrid looked at Dorea with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Dorea, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.~**

"Huh?"

**~A witch? Her? How could she possibly be?~**

"Easy, you just are." James said simply, making Dorea glare at him.

"Thanks for the insightful explanation, _pops_." she deadpanned, making Lily and Bill burst out laughing at the sight of both their faces.

**~She'd spent her life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if she was really a witch why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock her in a cupboard? If she'd defeated the once greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick her around like a football?~**

"Ah, magic doesn't work that way, Dorea." Dumbledore said, his eyes barely twinkling at the thought of Dorea not being a witch. It was like a pretty Umbridge - he couldn't picture it for the life of him.

**~"Hagrid," she said quietly. "I think you must've made some mistake. I don't think I can be a witch."**

**To her surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

**"Not a witch, eh? Never made things happen when you were scared or angry?"**

**Dorea looked into the warm yellow fire. Now that she thought about it... Every odd thing that had ever made her aunt and uncle furious with her had happened when she, Dorea, had been upset or angry... Chased by Dudley's gang, she had found herself out of their reach... Dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, she'd managed to make it grow back... And the very last time Dudley had hit her, hadn't she gotten her revenge, without ever realizing she was doing it? Hadn't she set a boa constrictor on him?~**

"You also set it free in the process." Luna said happily, seemingly the only one who ignored Dorea Branding Vernon.

**~Dorea looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at her.**

**"See?" said Hagrid. "Dorea Potter, not a wizard you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."~**

"Joy." Dorea muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Snape's eyes narrowed. _The Potter bitch loves her fame... She loves it... She has to..._

**~But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.~**

"Of course not." Hermione growled, glaring at the Branded man.

**~"Haven't I told you she's not going?" he hissed. "She's going to Stonewall High and she'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and she needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books - and - and wands and -"**

**"If she wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop her," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's daughter goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. Her name's been down ever since she was born.~**

Several purebloods whistled, impressed. Dorea looked confused.

"What? What's so special about that?" she asked. Molly looked at her.

"Usually a magical child is registered automatically after a month of being born, seeing as how that's when their magical core has begun to settle. To have your name registered the day you were born, however, means that you must be an incredibly powerful witch." she explained. Dorea's jaw dropped - so _that's_ why Hagrid mentioned it.

**~She's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and she won't know herself. She'll be with youngsters of her own sort, fer a change, an' she'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled- "**

**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HER MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.~**

James winced.

"_Biiig_ mistake." he said. Dorea gave him a look.

"How do you know that?" she asked. James flinched at the memory.

"Please don't ever ask that again." he whimpered, the memories clearly playing behind his eyes. When the Marauders accidentally did that... He shuddered at the memory. _Don't think about it... Don't think about it..._

**~But he had finally gone too far. **

**Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, " INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME!" He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Dorea saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.~**

Whoops and laughter sounded through the Hall, while Dumbledore shook his head.

"Hagrid..." he groaned almost silently. No one heard him.

**~Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."~**

More laughter.

**~He cast a sideways look at Dorea under his bushy eyebrows.**

**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."~**

"You took the job so you could perform magic...?" Blaise growled under his breath, several other Slytherins nodding in agreement. He considered that a backhanded compliment towards Dorea.

**~"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Dorea.**

**"Oh, well I was at Hogwarts meself but I er got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

**"Why were you expelled?"~**

James shook his head.

"Dorea, no one knows why he was expelled. He's never told anyone." he said, then got a look at the Trio's smug faces. He groaned. "You know, don't you?" he asked. They smirked.

"It'll be-"

"-In the-"

"-Second book."

**~"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Dorea.**

**"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."~**

Those who knew Hagrid pretty well shook their heads fondly. Hagrid placed the marker back into the book, closing it.

"Well, that's the chapter. Anybody want ter read next?" he asked

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 14,732**

**Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh... I honestly have no idea where the Slave Branding came from. But other than that little part - that ended up taking up quite a bit of space, actually - everything went normally. The next chapter will be the last chapter for the day, and they ate lunch during a little break between chapters.**

**Total reviews: 31**

**Review goal: 50 by chapter 5**

**Chapter 6 is gonna be an interlude, just to let you know. Let's see... Amelia is gonna go to the Ministry and set up a trial for Sirius for a few days after - near the end of the first book, maybe by the beginning of the second.**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS! REVIEWS MAKE ME UPDATE FASTER (they actually do)


	5. Book 1: Chapter 5

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC**

**ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE I DON'T OWN!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: I think that it's logical - I mean, why else would she and Bill get married after only knowing each other for 2 years? Kinda rushing into it, aren't they? And JKR mentioned that she was half-Veela, making me think that she was in love with him and used her charms to make him love her. And Hagrid is flawed - most of the characters in HP are. Harry has his hero-complex, which means he risks not only his life but the lives of those around him most of the time; Hermione is a bossy-know-it-all; Ron is a jealous prat; Dumbledore was best friends (and probably lovers) with Grindelwald; Snape was a complete and total ass. And as for why only Vernon was Branded - that'll come up in the Gringotts meeting. I had so much fun writing a Hufflepuff shouting at Hagrid to smite the Dursleys, and the part where the Slytherins start thinking for themselves - all they knew was that Voldemort was the Heir of Slytherin, and that made them believe that he was a pureblood. None of them ever thought that, what with his ideals, that he could be anything other than a pureblood. So pretty much, they're gonna feel betrayed and disgusted with Voldemort because of the fact that his father wasn't even a muggleborn - he was pure muggle. The prophecy will change a little - instead of it being 'and he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not', it'll be 'and they', so Neville was still an option. And the offerings to be his Dark Lady kinda make sense in my eyes - Dorea's an extremely powerful witch, and from a Most Ancient and Most Noble family to boot. Since Voldemort himself is a halfblood, he wouldn't care about her blood status - Dorea is attractive, smart, powerful, and rich. That's all that matters in his eyes. Bellatrix is gonna be majorly pissed when she finds out that Voldemort wants Dorea to be his Dark Lady - unrequited Bellatrix/Voldemort, anyone? And, while I'm writing this, I have 39 reviews. Hopefully by the time the next chapter is posted it'll be over 50! And the next chapter is gonna be an interlude, by the way. I'm going with about 4-5 chapters per day, the next day is gonna be 4 because Dorea and Bill have to go to Gringotts for the meeting with her Account Manager. And I'd like to say this - you are the only person to comment on every chapter that I've updated, so thank you!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

"Well, who would like ter read next?" Hagrid said, looking around the Hall. To his immense surprise, Bill Weasley raised his hand. Dorea stared at him in shock - she was back to sitting on his lap.

"You wanna read now?" she asked. Bill smirked and tussled her hair.

"You're going to Diagon Alley next, aren't you? I wanna read your first visit there." Bill said happily. Lily and James looked downcast - they had always dreamed of taking Dorea to Diagon Alley for the first time, and now... Now that Voldemort had killed them, they didn't have that option. Lily just wished they would get to Hogwarts already - she wanted to know about her baby's first year.

Dorea pouted as the book floated over to Bill, who opened it and smiled.

**~Chapter 5 - Diagon Alley~** he read, keeping Dorea close to him. Charlie sent Bill and knowing smirk that was missed - Charlie knew wxactly how Bill felt towards Dorea, the Eskimo kiss last chapter confirmed his beliefs. Bill loved Dorea, but he probably didn't really know it yet.

**~Dorea woke early the next morning. Although she couldn't tell if it was daylight, she kept her eyes shut tight.**

**_It was a deam,_~**

"That would be an awfully good and creative dream, then." Bill interrupted himself, grinning down at Dorea. She huffed.

"It would've been a change - I wouldn't have been dreaming about-" she cut herself off, blushing a little. Michaela leaned forwards, a sly grin on her face.

"About?" she asked, making Dorea violently shake her head.

"Nothing, nothing." she said._ I wouldn't have been dreaming about you,_ she finished in her mind.

**~she told herself firmly. I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me that I was going to a school for wizards and witches. When I open my eyes I'll be at the Dursleys in my cupboard.~**

"You never considered that place home..." Sierra said mournfully. How could they have _missed _it?

Dorea shrugged. "I never considered Durzkaban home." she stated, tapping the page impatiently. She really just wanted to get the day over with so she could go to sleep.

**~There was suddenly a sharp, loud tapping noise.**

**_And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door,_ Dorea thought, her heart sinking. _I didn't get up early enough to start breakfast for her...~_**

"Dear, you shouldn't have to get up to start breakfast." Molly said, looking sadly at her oldest 'daughter' - and if she was right, her future daughter-in-law. Even she could tell that she was head over heels for Bill, and that Bill was madly in love with her.

**~But she didn't open her eyes. It had been such a good dream, almost as good as the ones with that blue-eyed boy.~**

Dante suddenly wolf whistled, making both Dorea and Bill burn bright red.

**~Tap. Tap. Tap.**

**"All right already," Dorea mumbled, turning onto her back. "I'm getting up."**

**She sat up and Hagrids heavy coat fell off of her. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was finally over. Hagrid was sleeping to the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, newspaper held in its beak.~**

"Urgh, _Prophet_ owls." James said, crinkling his nose. "Impatient little buggers - one of them nearly bit my nail off once." Sirius sent James a look.

"It nearly bit you nail off because you tried to pay it with bacon instead of Knuts!" he shouted, making most of the Hall laugh at the adult Potter's stupidity.

"Honestly, dad? _Bacon_?" Dorea asked, looking at her father oddly. Lily grinned at her husband.

"And didn't that owl take a chunk of hair out, too?" she asked, kissing his cheek. Dorea wrinkled her nose - now she understood what Ron meant when he said watching your parents act all lovey-dovey being gross meant she didn't want to think about her parents - or most adults, actually - like that. Ever.

Bill chuckled, turning back to the chapter. Umbridge, however, was pissed. The day was almost done, and they were only going to get through 5 chapters? It was already 3, and at this rate, they would be done by dinner time, which was at 8!

**~Dorea scrambled to her feet, so happy she felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside of her.~**

"A balloon?" laughed Michaela. Dorea crossed her arms and pouted.

"I was eleven, and I didn't even realize what I was thinking!" she whined, making Bill tussle her hair again.

"Sweety, you have the strangest thoughts sometimes." he smiled, then turned back to the book. Michaela and Charlie sent each other grins. _Operation Get Them Together(GTT for short) was underway!_

**~She ran straight to the window and jerked it open to let the owl in.**

**The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up, or even move. The owl the fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

**"Don't do that."~**

"It wants to be paid." Malfoy drawled, making Parkinson snicker. Dorea looked over Bill's shoulder to send them her patented Glare of Death.

"I was eleven and was just being introduced to the wizarding world. You try it and we'll see how you turn out." she growled at the pair, making both freeze at the look in her bright green eyes They suddenly felt a strange fear for their lives as they looked at her, slowly turning her head back to the book. Malfoy and Parkinson exchanged worried glances - her eyes had looked exactly like the Killing Curse just then.

**~Dorea tried to wave to owl out of the way, but it just simply snapped its beak fiercely at her and carried on savaging the coat.**

**"Hagrid!" said Dorea loudly, not knowing what to do. "There's an owl-"**

**"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

**"... _What_?"**

**"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."~**

"Uh, Hagrid?" asked Angelina Johnson. "You're coat is _made_ of pockets." Hagrid blinked in surprise, then shock, then horror. How long had Dorea spent rifling through his coat to find those Knuts?

**~Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys,~**

"Well, he _is_ the Keeper of Keys for a reason."

**~slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags...~**

"Why d'you have peppermint humbugs in your pockets?" Seamus asked, looking at Hagrid oddly. The half-giant shrugged.

"In case I want one, o' course."

**~Finally, Dorea pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.~**

"Our coins aren't strange looking." Blaise humphed. Dorea looked at him.

"Muggle money has the amount written write on the paper - here it's... 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. In the Muggle world it's (A/N: I don't really know the terms for British money, so I'm using the North American terms here) 100 cents per dollar. That's it - and you rarely ever find anything for under a dollar, usually the cents are for taxes." she explained. The purebloods all blinked - muggle money was actually a whole lot easier to understand than wizarding money. Dorea then narrowed her eyes. "Then again, most countries have their own form of currency... But there are places where you can find an exchange booth, basically where you can trade the money from one country for the money of another." she added in, making the purebloods reconsider any insults towards muggles for organization - that was actually a really smart idea, so that they could simply bring the money they traditionally used to a shopping centre and trade it for the money used there.

**~"Give him 5 Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.~**

"But she doesn't know-" Aruther began. Hagrid cut him off.

"I knew she didn' know, I wanted ter let her see some o' our money 'fore we got to Diagon." he explained. Those who had traditionally introduced muggleborns into the wizarding world - being McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout - all nodded in approval. Since she would eventually be living in the wizarding world, it would be better that she see their money ahead of seeing her Vault.

**~"Knuts?"**

**"The little bronze ones."**

**Dorea counted out 5 little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Dorea could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it.~**

"Uh, chici?" Charlie began. Dorea looked at him. "How did you know it was a male owl?" he asked. Dorea's eyes narrowed in thought, then widened in surprise.

"I... I really don't know." she said. Charlie nodded thoughtfully - could Dorea have a latent ability with animals? He'd have to wait until her COMC lessons to find out...

**~Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched. Dorea felt a little annoyed - when did she have to pay the owl if he was about to get up, anyway?~**

"Sorry 'bout that, Dorea." Hagrid said sheepishly. Dorea waved it off.

"No problem, really. It was probably better that I saw some of the wizarding coins before we got to my Vault."

**~"Best be off, Drea, lets ter do today. Gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school.**

**Dorea was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. She had just thought of something that made her feel as though the happy balloon inside of her had just gotten a puncture.~**

"NOT THE _BALLOON_!" the Weasley twins shouted, fake sobbing.

"It had such a young life!" George wailed, only to get a shoe thrown at his by Dorea. He dodged it, but it whacked him over the head when Dorea summoned it back to her. She smirked at his shocked face.

**~"Um - Hagrid?"**

**"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

**"I haven't got any money... And you heard Uncle Vernon last night, he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."~**

"You really thought that you didn't have money?" Malfoy joked. Dorea glared at him again.

"All my life I was forced to work around the Dursleys in order to, quote unquote, "pay my keep". I was under the impression that my parents were bums for the majority of my life, that I was a waste of space that should've died with them," Bill whacked her over the head with the book here. "And that I was a freak. If you lived a life like that, you would've thought that you didn't have money, either."

Malfoy looked at his lap, cowed by her lecture. It actually made him reconsider how she had treated him when they first met on the train, she hadn't known anything about pureblood etiquette then...

**~"Don' worry 'bout that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn' leave yeh anythin'?"**

**"But if there house was destroyed -"~**

"We don't keep out money in our houses!" a Slytherin second year shouted. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Raised in the Muggle world, people!" she grumbled back. A muggleborn, Sally-Anne Perks nodded in agreement.

"She's got a point, in most muggle fantasy books most witches and wizards keep their money in their house." she stated. The heads of the misfit gang snapped over to her. Dante's jaw dropped.

"_Sally_? You're a witch _too_?" he asked. Sally-Anne Perks flushed, but stood up and joined her childhood friends in the circle anyway.

**~They didn' keep their gold in the house, girl!"~**

"Don't call her girl." James growled. That word now reminded him of the Branded bastard that abused his daughter all her life.

**~Nah, firs' stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not all that bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."~**

"Cake is really good for breakfast." Michaela drooled, remembering the times that she snuck a piece of cake into her room for breakfast.

**~"Wizards have banks?"**

**"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."~**

"Who can actually be pleasant if you get your work done on time and are honest to them." Bill mentioned, remember the times his co-workers would get their asses handed to them by their bosses. "And there are different branches throughout the world, each run by a different goblin tribe."

**~Dorea dropped the bit of sausage she was holding in shock.~**

Many people laughed, while Bill just simply chuckled.

"I was shocked." she grumbled, poking Bill in the ribs. She grinned as he jumped. "You're ticklish!" she exclaimed, an impish grin making it's way across her face. Bill paled, and continued reading before Dorea could start tickling him.

**~"_Goblins_?"**

**"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with Goblins, Dorea."~**

"Too true." Bill muttered, shaking his head in memory of those who tried to get one over the tricky creatures. Ron snorted.

"Well, Rea, looks like you're gonna rob Gringotts in the future." he snickered. Hermione and Dorea exchanged glances - would they really try to rob Gringotts? Ron usually said things that later happened... Dorea shok her head slightly, glaring at her friend.

"Will not!" she exclaimed. Ron then stood up and looked around.

"All those who think Dorea will rob Gringotts in the future?" he asked. Nearly everyone raised their hand - every professor in the room except for Umbridge, and everyone who had heard what she had done, which was every student except a handful of first years. Dorea huffed, while those who had no clue as to her Hogwarts adventures stared at all the raised hands, their jaws dropping. What the _hell_ had Dorea done thee past few years she had been at this school?

**~Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anythin' yeh want ter keep safe -'cept maybe Hogwarts.~**

"Uh, was that before I came?" Dorea asked loudly, making Dumbledore and many of the staff members chuckle.

"Yes, I do believe that was. After you came, something eventful happens every year." Dumbledore stated, making those who graduated before Dorea came, or attended a different school, pouted. They wanted to know what happened!

Then they remembered they were, in fact, reading about Dorea's life. Ooops..

**~As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you - gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see."~**

Dumbledore smiled at his old friend, while Umbridge mentally sneered. _Why anyone would trust that great oaf, I'll never know._

**~"Got everythin'? Come one, then." Dorea followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was clear now, and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom from after the storm.**

**"How did you get here?" Dorea asked, looking around for another boat, a jet-ski, something that could have gotten him across the water.**

**"Flew," said Hagrid.~**

"Wait, _flew_?" Ginny asked, scrutinizing her big brother. Bill shrugged.

"I'm just reading what it says." he replied. Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"I still don't know how he flew to that rock." she said simply. Dumbledore smiled.

"I believe he used his umbrella - there is a muggle movie about a magical nanny that I am rather fond of, and the nanny flew using her umbrella." he explained. Dorea, Hermione, the muggles and the rest of the muggleborns nodded. Mary Poppins. They could see that happening.

**~"Flew?"**

**"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now that I've got yeh wi' me."**

**They settled down in the boat in the boat, Dorea was still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.~**

"At least we can picture it now, Bambi." Lily said. Dorea groaned at the nickname.

"Not you too!"

**~"Seems a shame ter row, though." said Hagrid, giving Dorea another one of his sideways looks. "If I were ter - ter - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"~**

"_Hagrid_..." McGonagall groaned. Hagrid looked down at his lap, officially ashamed.

**~"Of course not," said Dorea, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off towards land.~**

"That actually wasn't all that bad." Amelia muttered, thinking. "That could've easily been passed off as a motor on the boat... Things like that we actually look over." She didn't seem to notice that all the muggleborns in the hall looked at her in shock - could they get away with doing that during the summer?

**~"Why would you be mad to rob Gringotts?" Dorea asked.~**

"Oh, just because goblins are sadistic bastards when it comes to thieves." Bill said, shuddering. "You really don't want to know what they want us to do to raiders when we're on excavations..."

Molly looked at her oldest son, concerned. _Raiders...? But didn't Bill say that all he did was sit around and do the arithmancy for the group?_

**~"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's~**

Bill froze, gulping. Dorea's eyes widened as she looked at Charlie, who was only a few people away from them. The pair looked at each other, nodded, then got up and moved to the Gryffindor table. Sitting on the table itself, Bill felt at a safe enough distance to continue.

**~dragons guardin' the high security vaults.~**

"THEY SAY THERE'S _WHAT_ GUARDING THOSE VAULTS?!"

Everyone froze, realizing just why Bill and Dorea had moved to the Gryffindor table. Charlie was standing up, his eyes blazing with rage. He attempted to run over to the book to make sure what his brother read was what was really there, but Michaela caught him before he could jump over the sofa and plopped herself down on his lap. She gave the angry redhead a fierce look.

"I'm staying here until you calm down enough to not murder someone. _Got it_?" she asked. Charlie didn't respond through his gritted teeth, so she took it as a 'yes' and leaned back on him. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Bill and Dorea exchanged smirks. _They were actually a really cute couple..._

Bill continued.

**~And then yer gotta find yer way out - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."~**

"Which is exactly what the goblins want." Bill grumbled, making Colin Creevey look at him in horror at the news.

**~Dorea sat and thought about this while Hagrid read the newspaper, the Daily Prophet.~**

"That newspaper is just the Ministry's form of propaganda If there's someone or something they don't like, they pay the Prophet to slander that person or thing." Lily grumbled, making James wrap his arms around her. After she had married James, the Prophet had published an article where the journalist suggested that she had used Love Potions in order to win over James - as if, more like the idea should've been James using Love Potions on her, what with him chasing after her since first year.

**~Dorea had learned over the years from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone why they did this(she couldn't fathom why they wouldn't want to discuss what was in the news), but it was very difficult, she'd never had so many questions in her life.~**

"Yeh could've asked me." Hagrid said. "I wouldn't 'ave minded answerin' them fer yeh." That statement caused Dorea to flush.

"Ah, well, you see... I prefer to find most things out for myself." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. Hermione snorted.

"And drag us along for the ride." she said. Dorea sent her friend a glare.

"_I_ told you to stay behind, _you_ didn't listen!" she announced. This time, Ron rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and what would you have done at the chess set without _moi_? 'Cause, no offence, but you suck at chess." he announced, making Dorea pout.

"Yeah, well... Never mind..." she grumbled. Bill raised an eyebrow at this, then decided to continue reading. They were probably talking about something that happened later in this book.

**~"Ministry o' Magic's been messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.~**

"We do _not_!" Umbridge announced. Dorea sent her a look.

"What was supposed to be a hearing for underage magic turned into a full-blown court session in Courtroom 10 of the Ministry. How is that not messed up?" she asked, making people whisper. _Who had a hearing for underage magic, and how did Dorea Potter know about it?_

**~"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Dorea asked before she could stop herself.**

**"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if there ever was one. So, he pelts Dumbledore with owls every mornin', askin' fer advice."~**

"I DID _NOT_!" Fudge bellowed, reminding people that, while he was chaind up, that he was still there. Amelia snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Alright then, how many mornings the past 13 years have you sent Dumbledore letters for advice?" she asked. Fudge stayed silent, but Dumbledore answered.

"Four thousand, nine hundred, and twenty-four times." Dumbledore said. When he noticed all the odd looks that he was getting, he smiled sheepishly. "One for every day that he was Minister, up until the day of the Third Task." he explained, making most of the Hall 'oooh' in understanding.

**~"But what does a Minstry of Magic do?"~**

"Use our money to pass bigoted laws, steal rights under the guise of protecting people, make everyone fear Dark Magic simply because it needs powerful emotions to power them, throws innocent people in Azkaban, let's You-Know-Who rampage around without the slightest hint that they're only making matters worse, letting Death Eaters go off free... Need I go on?" muttered Flitwick under his breath, making Sprout look at him oddly. His expression was pretty dark...

**~"Well, their main job is ter keep it all from Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."~**

"World would be a better word, Hagrid." McGonagall tutted. Hagrid flushed slightly at the mention. Oops...

**~"Why?"~**

"Are you seriously asking that after finding out what your relatives hate about you?" Parkinson asked, looking at Dorea like she was stupid. The ravenette glared at her.

"Well, _my_ impression was that if Muggles knew about magic, the majority would be accepting towards it, simply because the Muggle world problems matter around other things. People like the Dursleys would've been dealt with, and if everyone on my street knew what I had done when I was a baby, then maybe I wouldn't have had such a shitty("_DOREA LILLIAN VIOLETTA POTTER_! _LANGUAGE_!" screamed Lily, making James and Sirius snicker.) childhood." she explained. Parkinson's mouth opened and closed, making a rather strange goldfish impression - if a goldfish had a pug's face.

**~"Why? Blimey, Dorea, everyone'd be wantin' magical solutions ter their problems. Nah, we'd best be left alone."~**

"That, and the last thing we need is another Salem Witch Trials..." muttered Dante, who was shifting anxiously. There was a body of water nearby, he could feel it... But he wasn't in it! And it was calling to him!

**~At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper and they clambered up the stone steps and onto the street.**

**Passerbies stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Dorea couldn't really blame them, actually. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Dorea? Things these muggles dream up, eh?"~**

"_Reeeaaal_ inconspicuous." Michaela said sarcastically. Charlie whacked her over the head, he was slowly starting to calm down after hearing that there are dragons at Gringotts. And judging by Bill's reaction to that statement, it was probably true.

**~Hagrid," said Dorea, panting a bit as she ran to keep up with Hagrid's long strides. "Did you say that there are _dragons_ at Gringotts?"~**

"There'd better not be..." Charlie growled, then sighed as her remembered Norberta was smuggled from Britain to Romania in this year. _Oh dear, his mother was going to kill him for participating in dragon smuggling... Lily would probably kill Dorea for participating, too. Not to mention what could happen to Hagrid and Hermione..._

**~"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."~**

"Wait, he'd like a _what_?" Bill asked, staring at the word on the page. Surely he had misread that. Dorea nodded, confirming his disbelief.

"Yeah, he'd like a dragon." she said, thinking back to Norberta. Maybe it would be safer for her to stay over here... Away from Molly, Arthur, Lily, and James... Oh, and Sirius and Remus, too.

**~"You'd like one?" Dorea asked - if dragons were anything like the muggle legends, Hagrid was nuts!~**

"Yeah, they're exactly like them and _more_." Hermione grumbled, clearly remembering Norbert and the Hungarian Horntail last year. Fleur and Krum both nodded in agreement - they, themselves, had to face dragons for the TriWizard Tournament last year, they knew how viscous dragons could be.

**~"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to a beat-red Dorea so she could pay for their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.~**

"'Twas a blanket fer Fang." Hagrid explained quickly, seeing some of the amused faces of the Slytherins.

**~"Still get yer letter, Dorea?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Dorea took the parchemtn envelope out of her baggy pocket.**

**"Good, said Hagrid. "There's a list of everythin' yeh need in there."**

**Dorea unfolded a second piece of parchment that she had left alone the night before, and read:**

**UNIFORM**

**First-year students will require:**

**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear~**

"But we never wear them!" Hermione insisted. McGonagall blushed.

"The first years look so adorable walking around in those hats though..." she insisted, making most of the staff laugh at the Deputy Headmistress.

**~3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)~**

"They always do like to be original, don't they?" Fred grinned. Fabien was the one to reply.

"Gorgeous pairing, silver and black - I do wonder how they could have ever thought of it." he laughed. The two pranksters high-fived each other, their respected twin brother shaking their head in shame of those horrible jokes.

**~Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags~**

"Do we even _use_ those?" asked a Ravenclaw third year. Everyone looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No, I don't think so..." replied a Gryffindor second year. His friend snorted.

"I didn't know you could think." he mock-whispered, making those around them laugh.

**~COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot~**

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other, stifling smiles as they remembered the teas Lily had insisted they'd come to for the old woman. Batty old hag, always going off about something...

**~Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble~**

"Anyone else notice that those names have something to do with their subject of choice?" Michaela asked. Nearly the entire Hall raised their hand in agreement - the names really were strange.

**~OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)~**

"But pewter lasts the least long, and is the thinnest of cauldrons! That's simply gonna make _more_ explosions!" Lily exclaimed, horrified with the idea of a Potions professor actually purposely making their students get the worst of the cauldrons - the collapsing cauldron was only second worst, seeing as it could collapse in the middle of brewing a potion.

**~1 set of glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope set**

**1 brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad~**

"I always was curious as to what would happen if you brought both..." Percy wondered. He had brought Scabbers, and once Ron got his old rat he had gotten his own owl, Jus.

**~PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS~**

"Alright, Dorea, I want you, Ron, and Hermione to make a list of all the rules you broke that year." Bill announced. Ron and Hermione grinned at each other, stood up, and walked over to the Gryffindor table. They all sat at the end, using a roll of parchment Hermione had pulled from her bag, Dora's colour changing ink, and Ron's quill to write out all the rules they had broken. Bill began to read again.

Little did anyone know that that list would be a good 10 feet long - in _Hermione's tiny handwriting_.

**~"Can we buy all this in London?" Dorea asked, wondering how she had never noticed a single cauldron on sale when she went shopping with Aunt Petunia.**

**"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Dorea had rarely been to London before, and it was only to help Aunt Petunia carry heavy groceries. Although Hagrid appeared to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in a muggle way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and that the trains were too slow. Dorea could only wonder what he was comparing the trains to - if there was something faster in the magical world, then she wanted to avoid it at all costs.~**

"Too bad I don't." Dorea grumbled over the parchment, which was already a good 3 feet long. Hermione and Ron snickered at Dorea's expense, she really hated the Night Bus.

**~"I don't know how muggles survive without magic," he said as they climbed up a broken-down excalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.~**

"Nor do I," Sprout shook her head, "But it would be fascinating to see, wouldn't it?" she tacked on eagerly. Arthur brightened.

"Oh yes I mean, really, have you heard of such a brilliant thing as plugs?" he beamed at the Herbology professor. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I most surely haven't heard of them! What exactly do they do?" Ginny asked sarcastically, but Arthur took it as her being honest. When he was about to start explaining, Molly cut in.

"Honestly, Arthur, Ginny! For heaven's sake! Read, Bill!" Molly snapped in an exasperated voice. As amused as he was, Bill did as his mother told him to. Molly Weasley could be terrifying when she wanted to be.

**~Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Dorea had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores that looked interesting, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could see you a magic wand. This was just an ordnary street full of pretty ordinary people - every now and then, though, Dorea swore she saw someone in robes popping around. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried mile beneath them?~**

"_Yeees_." Sirius said slowly.

**~Were there really shops that sold spell book and broomsticks?~**

"There's a shop for each, but _yeees_." James said, equally slowly as Sirius was before him.

**~Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had somehow cook up?~**

"KEYWORD: SOMEHOW!" Dorea shouted out, making Bill and Hermione whack her on the head with a book each, for shouting in their ears.

**~If Dorea hadn't known that the Dursley not only lacked a sense of humour but absolutely hated any form of imagination or creativity, she might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told her thus far~**

"Wait, you were _11_ and you were thinking things like _thus far_?" Seamus asked. Dorea blushed at the mention.

"I read Pride and Prejudice..." she mumbled, making Hermione extremely happy.

"Oh, I loved that book! What did you think of Darcy at the beginning, because Elizabeth reminds me somewhat of a mix between you and Ginny..." she said. Dorea looked absolutely horrified.

"Darcy is the muggle, and Victorian, _Malfoy_, Hermione! He's a rich, pompous arsehole!" she exclaimed loudly enough for people to look at each other oddly. A man named Darcy? Who knew?

**~was unbelievable, Dorea couldn't help but trust him~**

"Which is why I sent Hagrid to get you, Severus was supposed to meet with you at Gringotts and explain the wizarding world to you, as well as your position as Heiress to the House of Potter." Dumbledore said, sending the Potions Master a glare. He couldn't believe that Severus would betray his trust like that, and to steal from Dorea Potter as well...

**~"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to such a sudden halt that Dorea nearly ran right into him. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place.**

**It was a tiny, grubby looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Dorea wouldn't have noticed it was even there, and she probably would've walked right past it. The people hurrying by didn't once glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other, as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all.~**

Moody was grinning at Dorea's observations. _The kid would be an amazing fighter, maybe as good as himself or Albus, if she had the power and knowledge!_

**~In fact, Dorea had the most peculiar feeling that only she and Hagrid could see it.~**

"Incredible... She guessed that without knowing about Muggle Repelling Wards..." Professor Babbling muttered, looking at Dorea with pride. The girl would be an incredible Warder, maybe even a Curse Breaker. Perhaps she should talk to Bill about recruiting her, Dorea's grades were high enough for the career...

**~Before she could mention this, Hagrid had steered her inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry.~**

"Uuuuh... How do you know what sherry is?" Lily asked. Dorea pointed to Petunia, making Lily nod. Petunia always did like her sherry...

**~One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.~**

Everyone who had met the man snorted at the description. Dorea smiled.

"He always gives me room number 2, and it's really nice." she said. Bill looked at her oddly.

"Dorea... Room numbers 1 and 2 at the Leaky Cauldron are usually for any magical_ Royal Family_ members." he explained slowly. Dorea's eyes widened - that was an enlightening fact.

**~The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

**"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Dorea's shoulder that made her knees buckle.**

**"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Dorea, "is this can this be ?"~**

"Aaand your first moment as a celebrity is at the Leaky Cauldron." Bill commented happily, smirking as Dorea whack him over the head with a pillow. Everyone stared at her in shock as she Vanished the apparently Conjured pillow, all of them wondering how she managed such advanced magic.

**~The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.~**

"You've gone and done the impossible again! You made the Leaky Cauldron silent!" Fred and George celebrated, doing a little victory dance. James raised an eyebrow, how often did his daughter do the impossible at Hogwarts?

**~"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Dorea Potter... what an honour." He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Dorea and seized her hand, tears in his eyes.~**

"Tom's family has been loyal to the Potter family for centuries, he's a great informant." James supplied. Bill's eyes widened - _that_ would explain exactly why Dorea got such an exclusive room at the famous inn.

**~"Welcome back, Ms. Potter, welcome back." Dorea didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at her. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing that it had actually gone out.~**

Moody beamed at Dorea, she was incredibly observant, and that could save her life one day.

**~Hagrid was beaming.~**

"O' course I was! Dorea thought she wasn't important, this was provin' otherwise!" he exclaimed, making Dorea blush bright red.

**~Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Dorea found herself shaking hands with everyone in everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

**"Doris Crockford, Ms. Potter, I just can't believe that I'm meeting you at last."**

**"So proud, Ms. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

**"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all a flutter."**

**"Delighted, Ms. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."~**

Dan face-palmed. "Uncle Dedalus..." he groaned, glaring at Dante, who was openly laughing at the half-Squib.

**~"I've seen you before!" said Dorea, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off his head in excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop!"~**

"Don't _encourage_ him!" Dan exclaimed, making Dorea look sheepish and mutter a small "Sorry".

**~"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me!"~**

Most of the Hall laughed at Diggle's enthusiasm, much to Dan's displeasure.

**~Dorea shook hands again and again - Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.~**

Dorea shook her head fondly, whenever she saw Doris Crockford now, the woman always spoke about how the Daily Prophet and Ministry was speaking slander and how they should take their articles and shove them up their. . . _Yeah_...

**~A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

**"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Dorea, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

**"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Dorea's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."~**

"_Merlin_ that stutter was annoying." Goyle said, making people blink as they stared at him. They had never heard him talk before - most of them hadn't exactly been sure that he could speak.

**~"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

**"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter."~**

"_Just_ because she defeated Voldemort," flinches. "When she was an infant doesn't mean that she doesn't need to learn defence " Moody growled out, his magical eye sticking in it's socket. He conjured a glass and some water, popped it out, and dropped it in the clear liquid for a while. Several people, including Tonks, stared at him in disgust for doing that in public.

**~He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose. I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.~**

"Why would he teach a class that he was scared of?" Lily wondered, James, Sirius, and Remus nodding in agreement. It was absolutely pointless to teach a class you were scared of, the students would never learn anything!

**~But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Dorea all to himself. It took almost ten minutes for Hagrid to get Dorea away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

**"Must get on - lets ter buy. Come on, Dorea."~**

"Thank you, Hagrid." Lily smiled at her old friend. At least Dorea had someone on her side that she could count on.

**~Doris Crockford shook Dorea's hand one last time, and hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Dorea.**

**"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually treamblin'."~**

"I had him for Muggle Studies before, and I don't ever remember him trembling." Bill mumbled, his eyes narrowed at the book. Something just wasn't right with his old professor...

**~"Is he always that nervous?"**

**"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since.~**

Dorea's gaze darkened as she thought about what Quirrell really found. "Oh, he found something _much_ worse than a simple hag or vampire." she growled out, making the Gryffindors that learnt from Quirrell look at her oddly. If Quirrell hadn't met a vampire, then what had he met instead?

**~Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires. Hags. Dorea's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

**"Three up... two across," he muttered. "Right, stand back, Dorea." He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.~**

People got dreamy looks on their faces as they remembered their first times going to Diagon Alley.

"You're so descriptive, Dorea, you should really write an auto-biography." Lavender said, and flushed as she remembered they were practically reading Dorea's biography.

**~"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley." He grinned at Dorea's obvious amazement. They stepped through the archway. Dorea looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop.**

**Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.~**

"Don't get the collapsible ones, they can possibly collapse when brewing. Get a copper one instead - it's slightly more expensive than pewter, but they last much longer and are less likely to melt." Lily informed, making many of the students take note on that. Dumbledore felt he should pipe in as well.

"Don't get the self-stirring ones, either, if they incorrectly stir the potion then it's likely to blow of an eyebrow or two." he said, fingering his own silvery eyebrows. Seamus stood up, glaring at the Gryffindor table.

"See? I'm not the only one who's ever blown off their eyebrows at this school!" he exclaimed, making Ron and Dean snort.

"No, you're not, but you are the only one to ever blow off your eyebrows 10 times in the first week of school. Pyromaniac." Ron said, making many of the fifth years howl in laughter, remembering all the explosions in that week.

**~"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Dorea wished she had about eight more eyes.~**

Michaela squeaked and shuddered, thinking about spiders. Ron, on the other hand, just shuddered.

**~She turned her head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once:the shops, the things outside them, and the people doing their shopping in robes, of all things.**

**A plump, redheaded woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."~**

Molly Weasley blushed furiously at the side mention towards her, while Lily and James looked appalled.

"Merlin's saggy left n-" Lily hit James over the head before it could get out. "_Sorry, sorry,_ but are they _that _mad? Dragon liver is essential to so many potions, and they're charging _that much_ for it?"

**~A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.~**

At this point in time, Hedwig swooped down into the Hall, amongst the 'ooh's and 'aaws' that many girls were letter out. She landed on Dorea's shoulder, and nipped her ear affectionately. Dorea smiled at petted her owl's head, making Hedwig bark in happiness.

"Yes, you're the most beautiful snowy owl in the world, girl, and don't we know it." Dorea cooed at her owl, kissing Hedwig's forehead. Hedwig then nipped Dorea's ear once again, before fluttering over to Lily and James, staring at them curiously. So these were her Mistress' parents...

**~Several boys of about Dorea's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Dorea heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever -"~**

The Quidditch fans in the room drooled, remembering watching Dorea zip around the pitch on that broom for her first two years, and the beginning of her third year. _It really was a brilliant broom, but it had nothing on the Firebolt..._ Victor, of course, was of different opinion to those boys.

"No, that is the Firebolt." he said, making James bounce up and down.

"No way! Do you have one? Can I see it?" he asked, then realized something. He looked at his daughter. "Do you play Quidditch at all?" he asked, making Dorea shrug.

"I'm not _that_ bad a player." she said. Hermione and Ron nodded at her, telling her to go and talk to her parents.

None of them noticed as Bill pouted slightly when Dorea left his area and went to go and talk to her parents about Quidditch instead.

**~There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments that Dorea had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes,~**

"Oh, those are so gross to work with." Luna said, wrinkling her nose. Many of the Ravenclaws stared at her - she could make a normal comment?

**~tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...~**

Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy professor, smiled.

"Now, I don't know who got me that gift for Yule last year, but I'd like to publicly thank them now." she said happily. James and Lily were the only ones who noticed Dorea's smile. Dorea would never admit it, but Sinistra was her favourite professor - she was fair, gave Dorea excessive warnings, and allowed Dorea to eat sweets during her class.

**~"Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was-**

**"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him.**

**The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

_**Enter, stranger, but take heed**_

_**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**_

_**For those who take, but do not earn,**_

_**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**_

_**So if you seek beneath our floors**_

_**A treasure that was never yours,**_

_**Thief, you have been warned, beware**_

_**Of finding more than treasure there.~**_

"That is such an creepy and morbid poem... I love it!" Michaela said, making those who knew her roll their eyes. She really did like dark things too much for her own good...

**~"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.~**

"And like I said before, Dorea probably will." Ron replied, making Bill tap him on the head with the book.

**~A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses.**

**There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Dorea saw one talking to a tall, red haired man in a strange language that the man was apparently fluent in.~**

"YOU SAW ME?" Bill exclaimed, extremely excited. Dorea saw him first! He was the first of the Weasley children that she saw! Dorea, on the other hand, was blushing.

"Yeah, I guess I did..." she muttered and scartched her head, making James grin and start whispering taunts about her not-so-subtle crush in her ear, most of them being about how lucky she was that Bill was blind and couldn't tell that she _loooved_ him.

Needless to say, James found himself face down on the ground, wearing only his boxers, and had neon pink hair, while Lily and Dorea were high-fiving at the laughter directed towards him.

**~Hagrid and Dorea made for the counter. Dorea could tell Hagrid was nervous, probably looking for someone, but she didn't want to mention it in case it had something to do with what he was sent to get.**

**"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Ms. Harry Potter's safe."**

**"You have her key, Sir?"**

**"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.~**

"Hagrid, the goblins like things neat and organized." Bill explained. Hagrid flushed slightly at the mention.

**~The goblin wrinkled his nose. Dorea watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.~**

"Question: what are they for?" Hermione asked Bill. Dorea answered instead.

"There are many things that they could be used for - for a magical focus, like Bill's earring, staffs, weaponry, jewellery or potions are just some of the basic ones.." Dorea recited, thinking about the rare potions gift she had sent to Dumbledore the year before. It had been pretty expensive, but nothing she couldn't afford as a thank-you gift to the professor for 'not' assisting her for the second and third Tasks last year.

**~"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

**"That seems to be in order."**

**"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen." The goblin read the letter carefully.**

**"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!" Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Dorea followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

**"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Dorea asked.~**

"If you didn't ask, I'd be worried about you." Lily said, making the still pink-haired James nod in agreement. His clothing reappeared, but the pink would take a few hours to fade.

"Lily and I were both too curious for our own good-" Hermione cut James off before he could finish.

"So _that's_ where she gets it from?" she asked, making the Hall laugh while Dorea blushed. Bill chuckled and continued reading.

**~"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."~**

"Hagrid, that's only gonna make her more curious." Sirius groaned. Hagrid held his hands up in his defence.

"Professor Snape was supposed ter meet us 'fore I went to get the package, she wasn' even supposed to know 'bout it!" he exclaimed. At that mention, McGonagall glared at Snape. So it was _his_ fault that Dorea found out about the Stone...

**~Griphook held the door open for them. Dorea, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in Hagrid with some difficulty and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Dorea tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.~**

"That's the point," Bill said. "But I think the record for the most turns remembered by a human was just one more than that..." he said, and Dorea grinned.

"Left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, left, middle, down a hill, middle fork, middle fork, middle fork, right, left. That's all I've gotten so far." she announced, making jaws dropped. She broke the record! "And I've only visited my Vault a few times."

**~The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Dorea's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but she kept them wide open. Once, she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon,~**

Charlie glared at Bill. _Was there room for the dragons? Did they get proper food, some sunlight? Or where they being viciously abused?_

**~but it was too late - they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

**"I never know," Dorea called out to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "What's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"~**

"Stalagmites jut out of the floor, stalagtites hang from the ceiling." Lily offered. Dorea grinned.

"I find I prefer Hagrid's explanation, actually."

**~"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it,"~**

Everyone laughed at the vague explanation from Hagrid, that was definitely the lovable half-giant that they all knew.

**~said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Dorea gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.~**

Petunia, Vernon, and Marge were aghast. The freak was _that_ rich?

"That's only the Trust Vault, now that you're Lady Potter you can access the Main Vault." James explained. Dorea immediately turned to Mrs. Weasley, who flushed.

"Now, Dorea, you really don't have to do anything, we're-" Dorea cut her off.

"I'm giving it to you whether you like it or not. Consider it repayment for the Ford Angela from second year." she said, making all the Weasleys' ears burn a bright, crimson red. Dorea and Ron subconsiously wondered whether that car was still in the Forest...

**~O~IN THE FOREST~O~**

Aragog's family was having quite the difficult time hunting food lately, due to the disturbances of the Blue Beast that wandered the woods. There were stories passing through the creatures, that the Blue Beast was a noble creature that protected the students from the castle from harm. It's eyes were as bright as suns, it's roar was as loud as Grawp...

None of them knew that the Blue Beast was actually Mr. Weasley's enchanted Ford Angela that was lost to the Forbidden Forest for three years now.

**~O~IN THE GREAT HALL~O~**

Bill, still blushing at the idea of Dorea giving his family so much money for something he didn't even know about, decided it would be best to continue reading.

**~"All yers," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Dorea's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this at all, or they'd have taked it from her faster than blinking. How ofted had they complained about how much Dorea cost them to keep?~**

"Oh yeah, because having someone who cooks, cleans, and works for you while you get paid to take care of her is oh-so-expensive." Remus growled, and a thought crossed his mind. He knew he had sent Dorea letters while she lived at the Dursleys as well - _Were his letters in that box in the attic with Bill's? Or were they in the Vault with the others?_

**~And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to her, buried deep under London. Hagrid helped Dorea pile some of it into a handbag.**

**"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

**"One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed.~**

"Question - he said one speed only, right? So how are they going faster?" asked Ron. Cat gave him a look that practically asked if he was stupid.

"Gravity made them go faster, basically Griphook can't control the speed at this point." she explained slowly. Ron nodded in understanding, while Bill shook his head in shame. That was his baby brother...

**~The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Dorea leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom,~**

"That really isn't smart, you know." Bill said. Dorea blushed and looked away.

"I was curious." she said simply. Umbridge, however, was furiously gazing at her wristwatch. It was already 5:32, and they weren't done the chapter!

**~but Hagrid groaned and pulled her back by the scruff of her neck.~**

"Thank you, Hagrid." James said sincerely. He had lost an Aunt in Gringotts when she fell, and they weren't sure what had happened to her... Fortunately, his Aunt was bitter towards his father for being the Lord of the House, and as such she treated them so horribly that none of them had really missed her.

**~Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.~**

"High security." Blaise commented. Bill nodded, the kid was right about that.

**~"Stand back," said Griphoo importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped there." he explained. Dorea looked at him curiously.**

**"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" she asked.**

**"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.~**

Many people shuddered at the mention, Goblins were really nasty towards thieves.

Bill, on the other hand, nodded again. That was most certainly a Goblin punishment towards thieves.

**~Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Dorea was sure, and she leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least but at first she thought it was empty. Then she noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.~**

Lily's eyes widened as she remembered the title of the book.

"Is it-?" Dorea slapped a hand across her mouth, sending her mother a glare.

"It took us forever to figure that out, no hintsies!" she announced. James pouted, he wanted to know what it was!

**~Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Dorea longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.~**

"Wait, you _didn't_ ask what it was?" Neville asked in disbelief. Dorea huffed as people laughed.

"I knew he was just simply gonna beat around the bush anyway, there was no point!" she whined, making the purebloods look at her oddly. She blushed, remembering that they wouldn't know that term. "It means that he would constantly try to avoid the subject. Muggle phrase."

**~"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.~**

"Port Hagrid..." Sirius chuckled. He, like Lily, loved the cart rides, they reminded him of the muggle roller coasters that Lily had them all ride when they went to that muggle amusement park for her birthday.

**~One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Dorea didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money. She didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that she was holding more money than she'd had in her whole life more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

**"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Dorea, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Dorea entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.~**

Malfoy paled at this bit, it was where he came in. And it most certainly wouldn't show him in a pleasant light.

Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, was angry. _Hagrid left Dorea alone so he could go drink?_

James must have seen her expression, because he began to explain that Tom always has a stock of motion-sickness potions for those who felt ill after a trip to Gringotts. It calmed the Weasley Matriarch right down at the fact that Hagrid didn't go drink and leave Dorea on her own just to do so.

**~Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

**"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Dorea started to speak. "Got the lot here a young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face~**

"Ugh, _that's_ how you met Malfoy?" Ginny asked, making Dorea laugh as she nodded. Said Slytherin, on the other hand, blushed.

**~was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Dorea on a stool next to him and sliped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

**"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea.**

**"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy.~**

"What was the point in that, the wand chooses the wizard." Crabbe asked, making most people who had never heard the mountain of muscle stare at him in shock. Malfoy blushed a pretty pink, and tried to dignify himself as much as possible.

"She's was hovering, so I was trying to get rid of her for a little while." he explained, making most of the Hall nod in consideration. They probably would've done the same thing in that situation.

**~He had a bored, drawling voice.~**

"I do _not_!" Malfoy drawled.

**~"Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

**Dorea was strongly reminded of Dudley.~**

"I am _nothing_ like him!" Malfoy exclaimed, making most of the Hall snort in amusement. Malfoy was horrified to see the amount to Slytherins that snorted - wasn't he respected? Wasn't his father respected? Wasn't the Malfoy name respected?

**~"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

**"No," said Dorea.**

**"Play Quidditch at all?"**

**"No," Dorea said again,~**

James gasped, while Sirius looked faint.

**~wondering what on Earth Quidditch could be.~**

"_BLASPHEMY_!" shouted the Quidditch players and fans in the Hall, while James faked a heart attack and Sirius pretended to faint in shock. Sirius knew that Dorea played Quidditch, so he couldn't fake a heart attack like James was doing.

**~"I do Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

**"No," said Dorea feeling more stupid by the minute.**

**"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"~**

"_OI_!" shouted the Hufflepuffs, flaring at Malfoy.

"I AM ASHAMED TO BY YOUR COUSIN!" Tonks shouted, glaring at Malfoy. Said blonde boy gulped - he had been warned by his mother that his disowned aunt and her daughter had inherited the Black temper, and that temper was a really scary thing indeed.

**~"Mmm," said Bella, wishing she could say something a bit more interesting.**

**"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Dorea and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.~**

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, Hagrid!" Lily exclaimed, making Hagrid smile and blush at the same time. "Thank you for treating her!"

**~"That's Hagrid," said Dorea, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

**"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

**"He's the gamekeeper," said Dorea. She was liking the boy less and less every second.~**

"WITH GOOD REASON!" shouted most of the Hall, after hearing how Malfoy acted firsthand. They had mainly heard rumours before, but now they knew that he was horrible before Hogwarts. They had no sympathy for him anymore.

**~"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."~**

Remus and Lily burst out laughing at the looks on James and Sirius' faces.

"Nah, that was these two, after winning the Quidditch Cup in our seventh year!" Remus howled, making most of the Hall laugh with him. Once things calmed down, Bill continued.

**~"I think he's brilliant," said Dorea coldly.**

**"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

**"They're dead," said Dorea shortly. She didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

**"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.~**

"I was, it's just Father taught me not to show pity or sympathy!" Malfoy exclaimed. Dorea sent him a look.

"And look how much good _that's_ done to people in the past." she whispered, but it resounded throughout the Hall clearly. Everyone paused to think - what good would hiding that be, what good could being apathetic really be?

**~"But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

**"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."~**

"A very diplomatic answer, you'll be a _great_ Lady Potter." James said proudly, hugging his daughter and kissing her hair. Lily snatched Dorea from James and started cuddling with her daughter, which Dorea happily responded to in kind. She didn't care that she was probably being made fun of by Malfoy and his sycophants, she had her mother and father, she wanted to spend as much time with them for as long as possible.

**~"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you?"~**

"If you think that vay, you should haff gone to Durmstrang." Victor growled, glaring at Malfoy. Hermione was a muggleborn, and she was a great witch and a loyal friend. He couldn't think of anything more insulting than Hermione not being allowed to attend Hogwarts.

Bill continued reading so that people would understand Malfoy's point of view.

**~They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.~**

"Well, if that's the case, then why aren't there wizarding culture classes so that the muggleborns can learn about our world and fit in better?" James asked, making many of the students who thought that way freeze and wonder why there _wasn't_ a class like that for the muggleborn first years.

**~What's your surname, anyway?"**

**But before Dorea could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Dorea, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

**"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Dorea was rather quiet as she ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought her (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).~**

Ron's stomach growled at the mention of food.

"Honestly, Ronald?" she asked. Ron blushed.

"Well, we only have about an hour until supper, so..." he shrugged, his hunger was completely justified. Dumbledore cleared his throat, bringing attention to himself again.

"Well, I'd like to announce that after supper we'll stop reading the book for today. Tonight myself and the staff will arrange a schedule so that you may all attend you classes," most of the students groaned. "And we may still read the books." he sat down, a pleasant smile on his face. Many of the staff members looked like they had swallowed lemon juice, that would take a while to debate on, mainly because Snape wouldn't want to read the books at all and Umbridge would want to do nothing but read the books.

Bill smirked at McGonagall and continued reading. She looked like a drenched cat.

**~"What's up?" said Hagrid.**

**"Nothing," Dorea lied successfully.~**

"Wait, did it just say she lied _successfully_?" Ron asked, and when Bill nodded his jaw dropped. That was so _weird_...

**~They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Dorea cheered up a bit when she found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, she said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

**"Blimey, Dorea, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

**"Don't make me feel worse," said Dorea. She told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

**"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in "**

**"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

**"So what is Quidditch?"**

**"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like like soccer in the Muggle world everyone follows Quidditch played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls sorta hard ter explain the rules."~**

"NO IT'S NOT!"

"Would you all STOP BREAKING MY EARDRUMS!" Remus shouted at Sirius and James, who blushed and looked down at their feet. They had forgotten about his enhanced hearing... _Ooops_...

**~"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

**"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but "~**

"_HEY_!"

"Sorry 'bout that!"

"Sorry guys, but I cut him off before he could finish!" Dorea shouted out, calming the Hufflepuffs down.

**~"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Dorea gloomily.~**

"We'd love to have you in our House!" Cedric announced. Dorea chuckled.

"Nah, I cause too much trouble to be a Puff." she said simply. Cedric chuckled, shaking his head at the ravenette. Too true.

**"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.~**

"Not true! Mum was a Slytherin, and she married my dad, a muggleborn! Mad-Eye was a Slytherin!" Tonks offered. Dorea grinned.

"_Merlin_ was a Slytherin!" she shouted out, making the Hall fall into uproars over the news. Merlin, a Slytherin? The thought was so hard to understand, but... _Somehow_, it made sense. "So could we all stop with the damn House prejudices and judge each other by their character?" she begged. Dumbledore was beaming at Dorea while the Hall looked considerate at her words - if Merlin was Slytherin, as well as Alistor Moody, then could all Slytherins really be that bad?

**~You-Know-Who was one."**

**"Vol-, sorry You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

**"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.~**

"I apologize for his crimes against you, Hagrid." Dumbledore said mournfully. If only he had been able to keep a closer eye on Riddle at the time...

**~They bought Dorea's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Dorea away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

**"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."~**

"I approve." Charlie muttered, only to get hit by Michaela.

"We prank, not curse." she said simply, making McGonagall groan and slam her head against the staff table while the pranksters of Gryffindor perked up at the thought of another group of pranksters.

**~"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Dorea buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"),~**

"Would've gone with copper instead." Lily huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at nothing. She hoped they would find out who the Potions professor was soon, so she could strangle them for assigning the worst of the cauldrons to students.

**~but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Dorea, Dorea herself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).~**

"Before I met the professor, I loved Potions." Dorea said loudly, making Snape feel a pang in his chest. _She's much more like her mother than we thought..._

**~Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Dorea's list again.**

**"Just yer wand left A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."~**

Hedwig barked, and Dorea couldn't help but smile at her owl.

"Yeah, you are the best birthday present a girl could get - way better than jewellery or clothing." she said brightly, making the fashionistas huff in disagreement. As if anything could beat jewellery and clothing!

**~"You don't have to "**

**"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at~**

"Hey!" huffed Neville, looking at Trevor, who was in his hands. "Toads aren't that bad!" This made the Gryffindors snort.

"They're not that bad if they're escape artists, Neville. That's the only reason we all like Trevor - we find in him the most awkward places." Hermione said, remembering the time she found Trevor when she was in the loo.

**~- an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze.~**

It was Hermione's turn to huff now. "Cat's are wonderful!" she said, making Dorea snort.

"Crookshanks, yes, but any other cat, I beg to differ." she said, eyeing Mrs. Norris as she wandered into the Great Hall, Filch close behind.

**~I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Dorea now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Dorea couldn't stop stammering her thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.~**

"_Ew_." Ron muttered, wrinkling his nose as he remembered exactly what was on the back of Quirrell's head.

**~"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand this was what Dorea had been really looking forward to.~**

"It's what everyone looks forwards to." James said, fingering his wand fondly. A wand was the sign of magic, that you were a witch or wizard. Everyone's wand was unique, just like them self. _No two alike, like a snowflake, or a person._

**~The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Dorea felt strangely as though she had entered a very strict library; she swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to her and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled.~**

"Dumbledore, I think Dorea should be tested for Mage Sense, and possibly Mage Sight." Bill commented, recognizing the symptoms of the latent abilities, as they were constantly tested for in Curse Breaking. Dumbledore's eyes widened, he had never thought that Dorea could possess those abilities - they were rare, only 1 in 1000 wizards or witches had one or the other, and only 1 in 10,000 had both. He, himself, had Mage Sense, and faint Mage Sight that allowed him to see Invisibility Cloaks or Disillusionment Charms, but only the outlines of the person under them.

**~The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.~**

"Yes, you should arrange for her to be tested tomorrow at Gringotts, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore said, nodding. She most definitely was showing signs of Mage Sense, but whether of not she had Mage Sight was a good question indeed.

**~"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Dorea jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.~**

Malfoy snorted, as did James.

"My dad did the exact same thing, that chair is enchanted to crack when someone moved on it." he explained, making Lily laugh at Malfoy's burning face. It was obvious that the boy was going to make a comment about Hagrid's size contributing to the cracking noise.

**~An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

**"Hello," said Dorea awkwardly.**

**"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Dorea Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand.~**

"Wait, _first_ wand?" Bill asked, looking at Lily oddly. Said redhead blushed while James, Sirius, and Remus were rolling with laughter.

"During our third year, Lilypad decided it would be a smart idea to whack James over the head with her wand." Sirius explained through laughter. Lily just glared at them.

"Yeah, well, James has a thick skull, and the fact that my wand snapped in two over it just proves my point!" she shouted, making Dorea fall against her father in laughter. Bill smiled at the sound of Dorea's laughter, she should be able to laugh more often than she really does.

**~Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."~**

"My second one is the same length and wood, but instead of it having dragon heartstring it has a fire phoenix feather core." Lily said, while Dorea smiled at her mother.

"The core of my wand is a fire phoenix feather, too." she beamed. James pouted.

"Mine's the core of an earth phoenix feather." he grumbled. Dorea patted his head as if he was a dog.

"It's alright, that's the only thing that my wand and her's have in common." she smiled at her father, who perked up right away.

**~Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Dorea. Dorea wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.~**

"YES THEY ARE!" shouted everyone in the Hall, remembering looking into those eyes when they went to get their wand.

**~"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."~**

"My wand is the same length as your's though, dad." Dorea smiled, and James pulled her into a tight hug. _His baby..._ He felt like it was only yesterday he was giving her a bubble bath in the kitchen sink.

**~Mr. Ollivander had come so close to Dorea that the two of them were almost nose to nose. Dorea could see herself reflected in those misty eyes.~**

Luna's eyes narrowed.

"He should see daddy, it's obvious that he's been infected with piup. They're lice-like creatures that invade someone's mind and make their opinion of personal space and social rules fall out of whack, and if the infection is left untreated then they could possibly alter his sanity altogether." she said, the dreamy quality of her voice gone. The Ravenclaws blinked - she made it sound like it was a disease rather than a made up creature.

Dorea looked thoughtful - that would most certainly explain Ollivander's behavior when she went to visit him summer before her third year.

**~"And that's where "**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Dorea's forehead with a long, white finger.~**

"My statement stands."

**~"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do "~**

"Wait, he sold You-Know-Who's wand?" Justin Flinch-Fletchy asked, terrified by the thought. Voldemort was once a kid, like themselves... The idea that Voldemort was a normal teenager once shook her to the core.

**~He shook his head and then, to Dorea's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

**"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

**"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

**"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

**"Er yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

**"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

**"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Dorea noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.~**

"Ah, well, yeh see..." Hagrid rubbed the back of his head. "They were the last things tha' reminded me of my dad... He bought my wand, so I sorta put the pieces in the core o' my umbrella..."

**~"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now Miss. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

**"Er well, I'm right-handed," said Dorea.**

**"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Dorea from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."~**

Neville looked at his own wand, which James recognized.

"Hey, isn't that Frank's wand?" he asked, pointing to it. Neville flushed, his mind racing.

"Yeah, well, Gran wanted me to use dad's wand instead of getting my own, since it was really one of the only thing I have of him..." he muttered. Lily igmnored the last bit, focusing on the first.

"You mean to tell me that your grandmother has purposely been making my godson use a wand that isn't right for him?" she growled out, feeling angry towards Madam Longbottom. Neville immediately started to backpedal, trying to calm the woman down.

"It makes me feel closer to my dad after what happened, so I really don't mind..." he said. James didn't seem to believe him.

"Minnie," he asked, ignoring the Animagus' grumblings. "Could you take Neville to get his own wand? I think it's time to stop hindering his progress the way it has been." he stated, making Neville wince. It really wasn't all that bad...

McGonagall nodded, she couldn't believe that one of her Cubs was using a wand that hadn't chosen him.

**~Dorea suddenly realised that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.~**

"It's measuring magical capacity, you can go and ask him for a measurement for free before school starts next year." Dorea explained, having asked and had that done the summer before her third year.

**"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."~**

"Nope."

**~Dorea took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.**

**"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try "~**

"Closer, but nope."

**~Dorea tried but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

**"No, no here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."~**

"Nadda."

**~Dorea tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.~**

"Ollivander loves a challenge. How many wands did you try before you found yours?" Dumbledore asked. Dorea paused and thought for a moment.

"I think... Around 200?" she half-stated, half-asked. "I remember that he had cleared several shelves..."

People stared at Dorea in shock - most people got theirs in one of two wands!

**~"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere I wonder, now yes, why not unusual combination holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."~**

"And bingo was his name-oh!" Dorea sang, making everyone who understood the reference laugh. Everyone else stared at them before shaking their heads, knowing that they would almost never understand it.

**~Dorea took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers.**

**She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and emerald sparks~**

People stared in surprise - Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin colours? But no one ever could be in either House... _Right_?

**~shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.**

**Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well how curious how very curious "**

**He put Dorea's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious curious "**

**"Sorry," said Dorea "but what's curious?"~**

"Uh, can we not read this part?" Dorea gulped. She didn't want people to know that her wand and Voldemort's were brothers. Umbridge swelled up in anger.

"No! We must read everything!" she announced, making Dorea groan. _Thanks, Toadie..._

**~Mr. Ollivander fixed Dorea with his pale stare.**

**"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother-~**

Bill's eyes widened in shock at the next sentence, not fully understanding what this meant.

**~why, it's brother gave you that scar."~**

The Hall went completely silent when this was read. Only Dorea, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Sirius knew about this fact.

"W-What?" a first year asked. Dorea shrugged.

"I really don't care, it just means that he can't duel me using his own wand, which puts me at an advantage." she stated. Luna hummed, thinking.

"It's as thought your wand knows the horrible things that it's brother has done, and chose you to redeem itself in the eyes of Magic." she sang out. Dumbledore smiled brightly at the strange Ravenclaw fourth year.

"Well said, Ms. Lovegood, 10 points to Ravenclaw."

**~Dorea swallowed.**

**"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember I think we must expect great things from you, Miss. Potter After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things terrible, yes, but great."~**

"Is he _admiring_ He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Flitwick gulped, looking at Dumbledore. The elderly man shook his head.

"No, I believe that he is admiring the magic. In fact, he could be saying that if Voldemort," flinches. "Were a good person, he could have been one of the greatest contributors to the wizarding world."

**~Dorea shivered. She wasn't sure she liked Mr. Ollivander too much. She paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.~**

Hermione whistled.

"He must've been glad to get rid of that wand, mine was 11 Galleons." she said, making most people nod. Dorea groaned and slammed her head against the table in front of her - just what she wanted, to be different _again_!

**~The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as dDorea and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Dorea didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; she didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Dorea's lap.~**

Sally-Anne blushed, she was one of the people who had stared at them - she had recognized Dorea, but had been too nervous because of Dudley to go up to her and say anything.

**~Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Dorea only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped her on the shoulder.**

**"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Dorea a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Dorea kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.~**

"It always does." Lily said, thinking about the differences between the Muggle world and the Wizarding world. It was so surreal, entering either world after being in the other for any amount of time.

**~You all right, Dorea? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Dorea wasn't sure she could explain. She'd just had the best birthday of her life and yet she chewed her hamburger, trying to find the words.**

**"Everyone thinks I'm special," she said at long last.~**

"But you are," said Dumbledore, looking at the ceiling. "Very few, if any, could escape Voldemort," flinches. "At the ages of one, eleven, twelve, and fourteen." Umbridge sent Dumbledore a glare.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is _dead_, she _has done no such thing_s!" Umbridge spat. Unfortunately for her, everyone ignored her, either out of fear of making their reputation worsen, because they knew the truth, or because they knew better than to test Dumbledore after that display of power when he turned the Dursleys into rats.

**~"All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry I mean, the night my parents died."**

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.~**

"Hagrid truly has a heart of gold." Mrs. Weasley commented, smiling at the man himself.

**~"Don' you worry, Dorea. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts I did still do, 'smatter of fact."~**

"And we help with that." Dorea smiled at Hagrid, who beamed back. Yeah, she was right, the students definitely helped keep things fun at Hogwarts.

**~Hagrid helped Dorea on to the train that would take her back to the Dursleys, then handed her an envelope.**

**"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September King's Cross it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me . See yeh soon, Dorea."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Dorea wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; she rose in her seat and pressed her nose against the window, but she blinked and Hagrid had gone.~**

"That's the end of the chapter." Bill said, placing a marker at the page and closing the book. He, Ron, and Hermione all joined the rest of the the Weasleys and Potters in the circle. Dumbledore cast a Tempus at the wall, then stood up and clapped his hands. Dinner appeared on the tables in front of them, and he smiled at everyone.

"Well, dig in!" he said. Everyone ate while they discussed what they had read so far. Lily and James were having a small discussion about the Dursleys, they had to figure out a way to keep their daughter away from those greedy bastards that stole from her for all these years - but there was also the fact that Vernon was Branded by their daughter, he was forced to serve the Potter family. It made for wuite the... Interesting conversation, especailly when they started questioning as to why their wills were never read - did the Ministry seal them? Or was it Dumbledore?

Ron and Hermione were have a quiet conversation about Dorea's homelife - she hadn't told either of them how bad it was, and it worried them - there were mentions of Vernon and Petunia physically abusing her, but it was mainly Dudley that did that. Stealing Dorea's rations in order to fill their own stomachs, making her work for them... How bad was it, really?

Bill had sat down close to Dorea, and was eyeing her as she ate. He couldn't help but notice that she ate close to half of what almost everyone else, and even then she didn't eat everything on her plate. He was concerned, and he knew he would have to confront her about how bad it really was at the Dursleys. Seeing Hermione and Ron talking told him that she had never talked about her home life with those two, and they were their best friends.

He knew that he was the only one that could get Dorea to open up.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 17,477**

**Alright, next chapter will be an interlude. So, pretty much, it'll be everyone talking about what's going on - the Slytherins are going to confront Malfoy and Parkinson about the way they treat people that are respected to the rest of the wizarding world, and there's gonna be a bit of hazing involved - hazing that is long deserved, in my opinion. The Ravenclaws are gonna consider Dorea's home life and the likelihood of her lying to them about Voldemort being back, and we'll get to see how I think Luna is treated. The Hufflepuffs are gonna basically talk to Cedric and find out that Dorea had absolutely nothing to do with his death, that he agreed to sharing the win with her and that he was murdered by a Death Eater that was believed to be dead. The Gryffindors aren't really gonna do much, but they will start talking to the misfit gang. And trust me - Michaea is gonna confront Dorea about Bill, and Dorea is gonna confront Michaela about Charlie. Long story short - it's gonna be pretty entertaining to watch - and Charlie will confront Bill about his feelings, who will still be in denial.**

**Lily and James will have some bonding time with Dorea, Sirius and Remus will be able to talk with Lily and James, and a bunch more.**

**Review Counter: 47**

**Ok, so it's not 50 like I had hoped, but it's close...**

**Review Goal for chapter 6: 60**

**Come one, guys! It's only 13 reviews, it's not that much!**

**Flames will be dealt with!**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**BUTTONS' RIGHT THERE! REVIEW!**


	6. Interlude 1

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan! There will be Cho bashing in this chapter!**

**I chose Ron and Susan to be together because Ron needs someone who'll tell him to get off his ass, someone who doesn't completely snap at him, but is more understanding than Hermione can be, but is independent and won't take what he dishes out. Overall, Susan's personality, which I imagine mirrors her aunt's personality, would be great for Ron in the long run and make him a better person. I'm still not sure as to who will be with Hermione, though... It's either Neville or George... Both would make a good couple with her, seeing as how her personality and their personalities would compliment each other really well. Whoever doesn't end up with Hermione, though, will end up with an OC (probably Sierra).**

**I don't think any of you realize how hard it was to write this chapter... So few Ravenclaws and Slytherins are ever mentioned, and the Hufflepuffs that are mentioned don't really get characterized, and the ones that do appear to be real asses(Ernie, CoS, Smith, OotP). The Gryffindors were the easiest ones to write, honestly. I mean, they probably all realized that Dorea couldn't possibly make up Voldemort coming back with the way she was raised, and the thoughts that the Ravenclaws have are basically everyone's thoughts on the matter.**

**ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE I DON'T OWN!**

**AND WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHAT EACH OF THE MISFIT GANG ARE! YAY! (this will build into the story at a later date)**

**And for those who can't tell, the Lily voice in Snape's mind is his conscious, which he hasn't heard from since he was like, 15.**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Griffindork93: I loved writing that part, I just think that the idea of Bill being the first Weasley that Dorea completely noted on is adorable and made for a bit of entertainment. Dorea just found out about Tom being an informant, she's gonna read more of the Grimoire in this chapter in order to learn more about her family history. If she had been in possession of the Grimoire since she was supposed to have it, she would have already known about Tom being an informant and acted on it. Lily doesn't know that Snape is the Potions Professor because he could easily be the DADA professor. One of the younger years will make a comment on Snape being the Potions Professor before he's introduced in the books, that's when Lily is gonna confront him and, well, for lack of better words, shit's gonna go down. And as to why he would have them use the worst cauldron: it's a reason for him to take points off when the cauldron melts for no particular rason other than it's the worst. Not only that, but it makes people who are actually good at Potions feel a whole lot worse than they really are, for example, canon-Harry or Neville. No, the Slytherins do no use Pewter cauldrons because their parents actually know what Snape's doing when he's assigning that cauldron to his students. Instead they get copper. And the Blue Beast was actually really my favourite part of this chapter, I got to make a little break and point out what's happening in other places in the Hogwarts grounds. Yes, that list will make an appearance, but t won't be until the second last chapter, when they give it to Dumbledore and he posts in on the Great Hall doors. Mage Sense and Mage Sight are actually more common fanon than people think, Mage Sense is pretty much the ability to sense and distinguish different types of magic, while Mage Sight is the ability to see and distinguish different types of magic. And as to Dumbledore 'not assisting', well, that's gonna be saved for the fourth book.**

**LM Ryder: First off, love the pun! The Sirius/serious puns never get old! They're just as good as the Harry/hairy ones! Everyone has Snape read the Potions Master, but it's a tradition that I am mmore than happy to unhold. The idea is pretty ironic, and it'll be pretty hilarious when McGonagall finds out exactly how Snape's been treating her Cubs. I'm not gonna spoil anytihng for the Erised chapter, but Snape is gonna be shocked at what Dorea sees in the mirror, while James is gonna be horrified that Dorea even found that mirror - reasons why will be in that chapter. Lily will find out about how Snape took her rejection, but McGonagall's not gonna blame her for going 'Dark', he was already on that path before she rejected him. And thanks for the Snivellus correction, I don't see reviews like that as flames, just constructive criticism. I got one guest review where they told me to stop being stupid and making up words like 'bratlette' and 'ravvenette'. Yeah, like ravenette isn't a fanon word at all. (insert eye roll here)**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

After dinner, all the students went to their dorms while the guests stayed behind to talk to Dumbledore. Amelia was glaring icily at the Dursleys, she couldn't through Vernon in Azkaban now because he had been Branded. The only question she really had about that was as to why only Vernon was Branded, why not the rest of the Dursleys? How come Magic - it was really strange thinking of Magic as a sentient being, now - only chose to Brand Vernon? And did Dorea really understand what it meant for Vernon Dursley to be Branded? Judging by how she worded the Branding, the only part of the Slave Contract that was really there was that half of the Dursley's money belongs to her, but did she realize exactly what she could make Vernon do? Branding him meant she had complete control over him, further control than the Imperius. She could make him drown himself, boil his head, murder his wife and eat her, and he would know what he was doing, why he was doing it, and be against doing it, but he wouldn't be able to resist doing it.

Lily and James were sitting around, waiting to see why Dumbledore hadn't completely followed through with the duties that came along with the position of Magical Guardian. This included ensuring the child was safe, happy, and healthy, all three of which Dorea wasn't when she was at the Dursleys. James was determined to demand answers, Dumbledore's traditional "For the Greater Good" wouldn't pass with him anymore. His daughter, his princess, was abused, and someone was going to pay for it.

Lily, on the other hand, also wanted to have a discussion with Snape about how childish he was being towards Dorea. Hell, since he was probably a professor here, he must've been messing around with Dorea's marks in his class, too! Lily only wished she knew which class he taught, it was a toss up between Potions(if he did teach Potions, she was going to beat him over the head with those pewter cauldrons that he has his students buy) and Defense Against the Dark Arts. McGonagall taught Transfiguration, which she knew Dorea would be graded fairly in, Flitwick taught Charms, which Dorea could easily get extra help in, Sprout(who had been a seventh year known for her Herbology skills when she and the Marauders were only first years) was probably teaching Herbology, Binns was still teaching History of Magic, Babbling was teaching Ancient Runes, Vector was teaching Arithmancy, but those were the only professors that Lily knew. She had never taken Divination, but it was a good guess that the gypsey look-alike was that professor, and she felt no need to take Muggle Studies, being a muggleborn. It was obvious that Dorea had a different Astrology professor than she and James had, so the only professors that she was unsure of was DADA, Potions, Astology, and Muggle Studies. In short, toad, gypsy Snape, and the redheaded owl-eyed professor. Lily wanted to see Dorea's past grades, so she could judge exactly how well her daughter was doing in school. She might have been at the top of her muggle classes, but that didn't mean that her attitude towards her studies as a child carried over to Hogwarts.

Petunia was warily watching her undead younger sister. She had always felt threatened by Lily, seeing as how she was prettier, smarter, more popular, and now more rich than her older sister. Now, her husband was that freak of her niece's slave, meaning that her spending money was cut, and Lily would most definitely seek revenge for how she had treated to girl for the past 14 years. And yet, after all that, Dorea was still willing to protect Dudley during a Dementor attack... Petunia looked down at her lap, completely ashamed of herself. Dorea was 10 times the person that she was, and by the looks of it, Dudley would become a greater man than his father ever could be.

Vernon and Marge were waiting angrily, determined to get that stupid mark on his back taken off. They had no idea what this 'branding' meant, they only knew that when someone or something it branded in the mugge(normal) world, then it's traditionally branded to show that it belongs to someone.

Dudley was looking back and forth anxiously, he wanted to get away from his father and aunt as soon as possible. Both of them were purple in the face, with identical veins popping in their foreheads and expressions that suggested murder on their faces. He couldn't help but feel nervous, this was the first time that he might be subjected to their anger in his life. He couldn't help but wonder how Dorea managed all those years, but he figured that her sarcasm and cheek were probably developed because of this. He honestly was beginning to regret how he had treated Dorea for her entire childhood, after seeing how she felt from her point of view when they were only 10 and 11 years old was a real eye-opener for him. He finally understood that she had the mentality that she was a worthless freak beaten into her, and that she now had people who loved and cared for her. Seeing that pierced man cry when he found out that his father and mother had actually hit her had hurt him inside, he felt like he should have said something back then in order to stop it from happening. He was starting to wonder, was this how all the other children in the primary school felt when they watched Dudley and his gang chase after Dorea day after day so they could beat her up? If it was, he finally was beginning to understand why no one wanted to be his friend to actually be his friend when he was a kid.

Michaela was feeling as thought someone had just stabbed her in the heart with her own sword. Her friend, her neighbor, and she hadn't recognized the signs of abuse. How long has her father hated her because she had powers that he didn't? How long had her brother and sister neglected her, abused her because she was different from them? How long has it been that her step-mother feared her because she wasn't entirely human? Yet, unlike Dorea, she had an escape, someone who could train her in the High Elf ways - her grandmother, Galandriel. Dorea, Michaela thought, Dorea had nothing, nobody, until she started attending Hogwarts. But how could she not have seen it? Dorea would only ever go to school, go to the Dursleys, and do her chores. Those chores were things that not even most adults could do - prune the roses, weed the garden, mow the lawn, trim the hedges, wash the windows, paint the shed, trim the tree branches, cut off the ivy, water and feed the lawn, and that was just the outside work. Michaela's only comfort was that they were all children at the time, that their blissful ignorance and innocence hid the awful truth ot the world from them.

That comfort really wasn't enough. She should have been the one to notice, she should have seen it, she was the neighbour for crying out loud! She was the one who saw how horrible the Dursleys were to Dorea(well, everyone on Privet Drive saw it, that was why Petunia Dursley was never accepted in the Privet Ladies group - at least her step mother could use her clothing and music choices as examples of how she was bullied by her siblings. The Dursleys didn't even have that excuse, seeing as how Dorea told Mrs. 3 across the street that she had to buy her own clothing from shops in London because the Dursleys only wanted to give her Dudley's cast offs.), she should have done something! Michaela looked down at her hands, her eyes stinging from the tears she refused to shed. She just couldn't believe how horribly she had failed...

Dan was sitting down, holding his head in his hands. His mother hadn't told his father that she was a Squib until after they were married, and he had accepted that with relative ease - she was from family that could do magic, but she herself couldn't do it. It was his mother's family, however, that was the problem for him. At family reunions, his grandparents barely paid any attention to him, instead choosing to dote upon his cousins that could actually do magic. His aunts and uncles pities him, there was no hiding it. They always treated him like he had some sort of condition that made him think slower than the other kids his age and older. Then, his cousins, were awful prats. They bullied him because they could do things he couldn't, they were constantly trying to slip potions into his food and drinks in an attempt to poison him, or turn him into a toad, or something. Dan knew what it was like to be hated by your family for something you couldn't control, sometimes he even hated his mother for being a Squib. If she wasn't a Squib, then he would be much more likely to be able to perform magic. But he knew that he couldn't really bring himself to hate everyone who performed magic in his family because of that fact, and that's what he couldn't wrap his mind around when it came to the Dursleys. Hating Dorea the way they did all because she could perform magic when they couldn't, it was just... Just... Just plain disgusting!

Sierra was still sitting on the sofa, staring Fleur down. The girl was half-Veela, probably a French-Veela. Or a German-Veela. Both were the most egoistical of the Veelas. The thing about Veela was, for each area of the world they lived in, the idea of beauty of that country was represented in their Veela. Her mother was an Irish-Veela, flaming red hair that curled down to her waist, bright sea-foam green eyes, pale skin, that was her. Her father had been a Squib, and once he found out that Sierra might be an Irish-Veela-Witch, he had started practically locking Sierra in her room and having her grandparents come to teach her magic instead of her going to Hogwarts like she was supposed to. He had feared for Sierra's purity, seeing as it was a well known fact that Veela had an allure that drove men into wild desires, whether married or not. If she had gone to Hogwarts, where only part-humans were so much more rare than at Beauxbatons, where she was assuming Fleur went to school, it was likely she would've been raped within her first few months at the school. Her elder brother, who was neither magical nor Veela, absolutely hated Sierra and made it his life's goal to make her own life Hell.

Stupid Spencer...

Cat was curled up in a ball, leaning against the arm of the sofa. She was a Neko, a Japanese Cat creature, commonly known as a Demon Cat there. She could sprout cat ears and a tail at any moment, her eyes could become amber with cat-like slit pupils, and claws could some out of her nails. Her parents were good people, Church going Catholics who attended Mass every Sunday. When they found out what Catherine was, however, they feared that they had done something in the past that had angered God, and he had made their daughter that way in punishment. Catherine had two older brothers, Mitchell and Ryan, who actually thought that her abilities were cool and encouraged her to use them the best she could. As a child, her parents had forced every Church cleansing ritual on her that they could find, but none of them worked, not even when they nearly drowned her in Holy Water. Mitchell was her oldest brother, and he got her away from their parents every moment that he could. That was why Cat felt absolutely horrible that she hadn't noticed how Dorea was treated at home - she knew what it was like to have family fear you for what you were, and try everything they could to change that fact.

Dante was lying down on the sofa, eyes closed to keep the tears back. Dante's father had been a water nymph, not that his mother had known. His parents had had a one night stand, and when she found out she was pregnant his mother had tried everything she could to find his father, with no success. Once Dante started showing his abilities with water, his mother became scared that he was a demon and locked herself away from him. He had never received a hug or a kiss from his mother since he was 7, but by then he had the misfit gang to rely on. To this day, Dante still wondered who his father was, or if he was even alive. Nymphs, while known for their playfulness and helpfulness, had strict rules about who they could sleep with, and if it was discovered that a Nymph slept with a human, that were publicly humiliated and then executed.

The members of the Order were sitting around, discussing what they had just read. None of them had dealt with child abuse before, it rarely to never happened in the wizarding world, but when it did happen it was usually because the child itself was a love child. A magical parent could not bring themselves to hate their own child, the magic in their blood prevented that from happening. The occasional exception was Squibs, where it only happened until they were 12 as attempts to bring out their magic. Most of the time, however, those children were killed in the attempts.

Fabian and Gideon where sitting in the corner, having a quite conversation. Something was up with not only Molly, and something was really wrong with Percy. They couldn't explain why, but it seemed like Percy wasn't himself, while Molly seemed to concerned with everyone else in that circle sofa to really notice it. They remembered Percy when he was a baby, his eyes had been bright blue and shining happily. Now, however, they were dull grey and almost lifeless. Was he being drugged? If so, by who? And why? They needed to know about this.

Snape was sitting in shock. Dorea Potter had a worse childhood than he did, and if what everyone said about her was true... _No, no! She was still the sarcastic, cheeky, Potter bitch, and she wouldn't change!_

_But maybe if we had given her a chance, she might have been different..._ said that Lily-like voice at the back of his mind.

McGonagall was mentally fuming. Hadn't she told Dumbledore that the Dursleys were the worst sort of muggles to let Dorea Potter live with? Hadn't she told him that she would be much better off living with a witch or wizard? Hadn't she told him not to leave Dorea there? But you let him do so anyway... he mind betrayed her. If you really cared for the girl, you would've returned after Dumbledore left and taken her away... You would've prevented her from being abused from the beginning...

Dumbledore - after what felt like hours of sitting there, taking in everything that happened to Dorea in the Dursley household - finally stood up and was instantly swarmed by Lily and James.

"Why did you send her there, Dumbledore? You know that our wills said specifically for her to be sent anywhere but to her, even the Malfoys would be a more logical choice than them!" Lily growled out. Dumbledore gulped silently, it had been years since he had faced the legendary Evans Temper. Amelia seemed rather shocked at this revelation, as she too turned to glare at Dumbledore.

"And may I ask as to why you never checked up on her personally over that decade?" she hissed through clenched teeth. Dumbledore felt himself starting to shrink, figuratively, at the three very angry people in front of him. This didn't include Sirius and Remus, both of which were currently having a very vocal and loud discussion with the current DADA professor.

"Well, you see, I truly did not want to risk Dorea getting spoiled and acting like James when he was in first year,("_HEY_!" James exclaimed, only to be hit by both Lily and Amelia, seeing as how he was a pompous arsehole in his first year.) seeing as how he had walked through the halls of this castle as if he had owned everything. I didn't personally check up on Dorea because I had Arabella Figg watching her, and it appears that Arabella has been ignorant of her treatment." Dumbledore said with a frown. He had chosen Arabella because she knew how to recognize when someone was being abused mentally and verbally at home, seeing as that was how she had been treated for being a Squib. This made Amelia's eyes narrow - _Arabella Figg?_

"Albus, 15 years ago Arabella Figg was arrested and fined for assaulting a pureblood heir in Diagon Alley. This was why she was sent to live in the muggle world." Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock. Arabella, attack a child? No, he knew Arabella, they had both grown up in Godric's Hollow, she could never harm a child... "There have been many reports of Squibs in the muggle world noticing and failing to report child abuse on muggleborns or halfbloods raised in the muggle world. If this is the case with Lady Potter, Arabella will have used her warning and most likely sent to Azkaban for 5 years for purposely allowing a child to be abused, which can be tried by the new child care laws that she was also abusing Dorea." Amelia explained, and Dumbledore was forced to take a seat. He had almost forgotten about those new laws that had been passed this last summer, and if Arabella had purposely been keeping information of Dorea's home situation from him... But why would she? Dorea, and all Potters, had done absolutely nothing to her or the Figg family. It just didn't make sense to him...

This information and Dumbledore's reaction seemed to make James click in to what was wrong with Dumbledore. He was living in the past, where it was expected that abuse was reported and families would take care of each other no matter what.

"My main question is why did you leave Bambi on the doorstep?" James asked, making Lily and Amelia look at him in shock. He was controlling his anger, unlike Lily. "Leaving children on doorsteps fell out of practice decades ago, generally after the Grindelwald War." Suddenly, both women understood where James was going with this. "Did you expect that Petunia would accept Bambi as her own daughter, and treat her equally to Dudley? Did you think that things haven't changed since you were a child?" Dumbledore opened and closed his mouth in shock. Had things really changed that much? When he was Dorea's age, it was expected for an aunt or uncle to take in a child if they had been orphaned, and to treat them like their own child.

Dumbledore's face was clearly all the answer that James and Lily needed, as both turned on their heels, grabbed Sirius and Remus by their hair, and started near dragging them from the Hall.

Dumbledore was left there in a state of confusion and regret - how much had things really changed the past century?

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE SLYTHERINS ~O~O~O~**

Warrington was sitting in one of the arm chairs, waiting for Draco Malfoy to enter the Slytherin Common Room. It was obvious now that everything that the Malfoy Heir had told them about Dorea Potter was all lies, he had claimed that she knowingly refused to shake hands with him and insulted him at every chance she got, but by the looks of how he was just simply introduced, Draco Malfoy was the one to start all the fights and act more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin. Magarett was sitting on the arm of the chair, watching the doors to the Common Room with a Hawk-Like gaze. Since Warrington had been named Head Boy, he was dubbed the unofficial leader of Slytherin, and as such, the entire House was sitting in the Common Room, waiting for the bane of their House to come in.

Several first years were whispering in the corner, the farthest one away from where Malfoy would be coming from. If things got nasty, they had a quick escape to the dorms to prevent any unnecessary visits to the Hospital Wing. They were mainly talking about Dorea Potter, and how she actually seemed to be one of the only people who tolerated people from other houses. She had even defended the Slytherins, and she was a Gryffindor! Lady Gryffindor, at that! Mafloy's descriptions and her actual behaviour didn't add up, and they suspected that this entire House Meeting had to do with just that.

It only took Malfoy 10 minutes to enter the Common Room, striding in like he owned the place. He faltered slightly mid-step when he noticed all the glares directed towards him. What had he done to make his House this angry at him? He didn't have to wait long, because Warrington stood up.

"Heir Draco Lucius Malfoy," he started, and Mafloy gulped. Full name usage in Slytherin was a bad sign, a really bad sign. "Tell me, have you been completely honest in your descriptions of Lady Potter?" he snapped. Malfoy's eyes narrowed. What was Warington getting at?

"Of course I have! She's a no good, spoiled rotten little bitch that deserves-" Malfoy stopped talking when Warrignton held up his hand.

"Your words, not Snape's." he growled out, causing whispers to break out around the room. Most students called Professor Snape Sev in the privacy of their Common Room. For Warrington to call a professor by only their surname meant complete disgrace upon that person, and they understood exactly why. Snape had stolen from Lady Potter and purposely didn't tell her any information about her heritage or her place in society. Daphne Greengrass stood up and walked over to Warrington, bowing her head to him.

"Heir Warrington, if I may speak." she requested. Warrignton waved his hand to her, indicating that she may speak. Daphne spun on her heel to face Malfoy, who looked like he had just been sent in for muggle castration. It was common knowledge in the dungeons that Malfoy had been crushing and lusting after the Greengrass Heiress since their Third Year, and having her speak against him here was going to be painful for him. "Heir Malfoy, I have shared Ancient Runes and Arithmancy classes with Lady Potter for the past 2 years now, and I have to say, many of the things you claim her to be she has never shown the slightest similarities to. She had always been polite to our professors," Malfoy was beginning to pale. "She has always stood up for anyone, no matter who they were or what House they belonged to." Things were beginning to look really bad for Malfoy... "And she has never even publically spoken ill of you unless sit is about an action that you performed prior that day, unlike you about her." Malfoy's eyes widened in shock. She never... Insulted him just to insult him? But... That meant... That he... Warrington stood up, clearly having made his mind.

"Heir Malfoy, there is also the fact that I must take your's and Heiress Parkinson's behaviour towards Heir Weasley into consideration. You were both warned that mockings towards either during the books would be severely punished, and I've made my decisions on how." Malfoy and Parkinson both paled considerably at the mention. They were doomed... "Officially, in the eyes of the public, you will by Slytherins, but in private, known only to the us Slytherins, neither of your are a member of this Noble House until you both come to your senses and realize exactly what your behavior will eventaully lead to." Gasps sounded throughout the room at Warrington's decision, and most of them knew the only reasons that those two weren't completely censured from Slytherin was because they were prefects. Blaise and Nott exchanged evil, identical glances and grinned. It was time to pay Malfoy back for all the times he messed with them in their dorms, and neither Crabbe nor Goyle could do anything about it without being censured themselves...

This was perfect. For them, at least.

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE RAVENCLAWS ~O~O~O~**

Padma Patil was sitting at a table in the Ravenclaw Common Room with Morag MacDougal, Terry Boot, Su Li, Stephen Cornfoot, Kevin Entwhistle, Anthony Goldstein, Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, and Mandy Brocklehurst. All of them were in the same year as Dorea, all of them also members of the newly formed DA. None of them could have ever considered Dorea having been abused as a child, and even if they had, they never imagined that it could be so seriously. Dorea acted as though nothing really happened, but now they were concerned about how their attitudes towards her during her first, second, and third years affected her mindset. Suddenly, all of them stopped talking and looked down at their feet, completely and utterly ashamed of themselves. From what they had seen of Dorea, and from what they had heard from their past of her adventures and from the books so far, she had really done nothing to deserve the way they had treated her. Three of the five years that she had been at this school they had all turned their backs on her, the way that most of her primary school and the adults there had in her childhood. They couldn't really blame her if she hated them all now, what with everything they had always said about her behind her back.

Su was the first to speak.

"I... I think that we should apologize to her... When we get the chance..." she whispered, her voice breaking. Lisa wrapped her arms around her Asian friend, trying to keep her from bursting into tears. Su was the most sensitive of them all, the one most likely to get guilt trips. Everyone else nodded solemnly, but the silence that surrounded them was broken when Luna Lovegood entered the Common Room.

The change in atmosphere in the room changed so suddenly it was shocking. One minute everyone was quiet and serious, the next it was filled with muttered sneers and had a joking vibe to it. Normally Ravenclaws accepted eccentrics with open arms, the title genius came with the eccentric grounds - Dumbledore was a perfect example of that. But Luna took being eccentric to the next level, and because of that, she was the social outcast of Ravenclaw and her year.

"Well, look what the kneazle dragged in." Cho Chang sneered, her clique of friends snickering at the comment. "Did you find any of those... Oh, what are they called... Nargles, was it?" she jeered. Luna gave Cho one look before turning away, clearly not caring anymore. She never noticed Cho's glances at her shoes, the bright blue converse being some of the happiest things that the Ravenclaws had seen. Luna continued to ignore all the mocks and jeers from her fellow Ravens, and especially ignored Cho's gaze on her brightly coloured feet. She even ignored the one boy who spat in her face. She didn't turn around when Cho ordered her to, nor did she say anything when Cho grabbed her by her hair and forced Luna to look at her, greed dancing in the girl's dark brown eyes.

Su's eyes narrowed. While she and Cho were cousins, they had never gotten along, and Su knew the look on Cho's face better than anything - it was the look of greed that Cho got when she saw something that she wanted for herself. She knew, at that moment, that Luna Lovegood was going to lose her last pair of shoes. She decided it was time to stand up to her cousin - if not for Luna, then for Dorea. Luna had sat with the Lady and she found no problems with her, in fact, she seemed to accept Luna into her group of friends with open arms. She owed it to Dorea, after all the horrible things she and her friends had said about her, the least she could do was pluck up the Gryffindor Courage in her and do what was right for once. She stood up and walked over to Cho and Luna.

"Leave her _alone_, Cho." she demanded. The room went silent as everyone stared at Su in shock, especially Cho. The older cousin wasn't used to anyone standing up to her like this. Cho recovered from the shock and snarled at her younger cousin.

"Oh, and why should I?" she snapped. Su's eyes narrowed even further, her eyes burning with like black fire. Her cousin had been turned into a spoiled brat because of her asshole of an uncle, and it was time to teach Cho her place.

"Because I said so, cousin. You may be the Chang Heiress, but _I_ am the Li Heiress, and the Li name holds much more power in the Eastern Magical World than the Chang name does." she growled out. Luna looked at Su with wide, misty blue eyes. This was the first time that a fellow Ravenclaw had stood up for her, the only other person being Ginny, and Dorea had been added to that list a few weeks ago. Cho didn't seem to take Su's reason seriously, though, because she laughed at her younger cousin.

"Oh please, like that matters to me at all. So why don't you give me a real reason?" she jeered. Su's eyes narrowed, mainly because she couldn't think of anything to say. But apparently, Luna did.

"Because the Lovegoods have been Allied to the Potters for the past 800 years, as their Beast Masters." she stated dreamily. With that, Cho let go of Luna's hair as if it had bitten her and backed away, pure horror on her face. "And my Lady already knows of the bullying I face within this House."

At that moment every single Ravenclaw stopped cold. Dorea Potter, Lady Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell, knew about how Luna had been treated the past 4 years she had been at this school. If Dorea didn't act upon it and take revenge for Luna, then her mother or father would, and they really didn't want to test those waters. Cho's face contorted in confusion, obviously weighing the pros and cons of bullying Luna now. Pros: 1) She felt better about herself from it. Cons: 1) Dorea Potter will, eventually, find out about her brought this fact up now, purposely to make everyone panic. 3) Dorea Potter had no reserves in Branding her very own uncle because he simply insulted her parents in the past, who knew what she would do to someone who purposely insulted her Allies?

Luna didn't seem to miss a beat, she smoothened out her hair and robes and looked back at the Ravenclaws. "I do hope that the Nargles return my belongings soon, I really do miss my plaid converse." she commented offhandedly, and those who had stolen her belongings made note to return them that night when she was sleepwalking. Luna then turned to Su and smiled. "Thank you, by the way. I'll be sure to mention this to the ryolo, they're well-known guardian creatures in Japan that protect the pure of heart. I've already got a tribe of them trained and ready for attack on the Dark Nibblers at a moments notice." And with that, Luna turned on her heel and went up to her dorm, leaving the entire Ravenclaw Common Room in stunned silence.

They really had a lot to reconsider - ranging from Dorea Potter to Loone- _Luna_ Lovegood.

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE HUFFLEPUFFS ~O~O~O~**

Cedric Diggory entered the Hufflepuff Common Room (right near the kitchens, tap one of the bottom barrels to the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff and you're in - tap the wrong barrel and you're doused in vinegar.) only to be glomped by everyone that stayed awake long enough to wait for him to come in. People were passing mugs of Butterbeer around, everyone in their fourth year and up were having a party, those in their third year and down were sent up to their dorms to sleep.

Zacharias Smith, after his fifth mug of the barely alcoholic beverage, decided to ask Cedric the question that had been itching to get out since he had seen Dorea return with Cedric's still body. He had been dying to get the evidence he had needed - the Potters and Smiths had been Feuding for the past few centuries, even if they had been fighting for the same side the past few wars.

"So, Diggory," he said, leaning forwards on the table. "Are the rumours true? Did Potter actually kill you?"

The room went absolutely silent at the words, everyone staring at Smith with a mix of shock and horror. It was Susan Bones who was the first to respond.

"Bloody hell, Smith! Do you realize what you're asking?" she gasped, staring at Zacharias in horror. After she asked that, Cedric glared icily at the idiotic, prejudiced fifth year.

"No, Dorea didn't kill me. In fact, she had told me before I was murdered," he spat the word in Smith's face. "That I should grab the Cup in order to get back to Hogwarts and out of where it took us." His grey eyes pierced Smith's brown ones.

"But she made you take the Cup with her, didn't she?" he asked, clearly dying for a reason to blame Cedric's death on Dorea. Cedric stood up, his face almost unnaturally cold.

"We agreed to make it a complete Hogwarts victory. Now, if you don't mind me, I'm going to bed, because even though I don't have to sleep, I want to sleep." he said coldly, glaring at Smith until he left to the ebony doors that had the yellow gold plaque with the words 'Cedric Diggory' written across it. When the doors slammed closed behind him, every single person turned to glare at Smith before leaving the Common Room, leaving behind the very angry and betrayed fifth year to think about his loyalties.

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE GRYFFINDORS ~O~O~O~**

Dorea Potter entered the Gryffindor Common Room(without needing to say the password, she guessed it was one of the perks to being Lady Gryffindor) when she was tackled and dragged over to a sofa and sat down in front of everyone. It was all happening so quickly, all Dorea could hear was the whir of apologies for not believing in her and for their past treatments towards her. Next thing she knew some people grabbed her upper arms and dragged her into a room that she swore didn't exist before. She blinked a few times to clear her head, and looked at her saviours It was her parents, Remus, Sirius, Bill, and Charlie. Why Molly and Arthur weren't there she didn't have the slightest idea, but she happily accepted the mug of sweet cocoa that her mother offered her and the thought was blown right from her mind. Lily smiled at her daughter and drew her into a hug.

"Since we've missed the past 4 years of your life, I think we should get to know each other." she explained. Dorea smiled at her mother and nodded, beginning to talk to her parents, Sirius, Remus, Charlie, and Bill about anything, really.

**~O~O~O~ TIME SKIP - 2 HOURS LATER ~O~O~O~**

Lily and James had bid Dorea their goodnights and were off to their room, James in only his boxers and Lily in her shirt and undergarments. Sirius and Remus were both fast asleep on the floor, if their snores said anything, both also only in their boxers. Charlie had already left, again, only in his boxers(not that Dorea hadn't appreciated being able to eye his body - he was really muscular). Only Dorea, dressed in her pants and bra, and Bill, wearing only his boxers as well, were awake and cleaning up after their game. Dorea was humming a perky, upbeat tune, while Bill was grumbling as he began to clean up the cards and put them away.

"Since when did you and your mum get so good at strip poker?" he asked, giving Dorea an odd look. He forced himself to look at her face - it wasn't his fault, he was a guy, and Dorea's, they were just so - so - so big! Dorea gave him a thoughtful look before arranging the empty mugs on a platter.

"I don't know - I think from all the Gryffindor Girl nights." she said without thinking. Bill's head shot up as he looked at Dorea incredulously.

"Gryffinor Girl nights?" he asked. A chill went down Dorea's spine as she realized what she had just done. She had broken the contract, the oath of secrecy, and had told a boy about girl nights in the Gryffindor Tower. She immediately started thinking - if the other girls found out what she had just done, she could be censured from the girl dorms! Scratching the back of her neck and sweating slightly, Dorea attempted to cover her blunder.

"Ah, you see, it's a tradition that the girls in my year and I started during Third Year - we get together once a week and do girl stuff, you know, give each other makeovers, do each other's hair, paint our nails, that sort of stuff. At the end of the night we have a draw between 4 games - strip poker, pictionary, charades, and a clothing switch game. At the end of the month we would have ended up playing all 4 games, you know, bonding stuff." She quickly explained, barely brushing on what Girl Nights really were. Bill nodded, and put the cards they used away before sitting down on a sofa quietly. Dorea looked at him in confusion when he patted the spot next to him, silently asking her to sit down. When she did, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest. Dorea could feel her face beginning to burn and her heart beat faster as her face was pressed against his bare chest. _What's he...?_

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me everything those bastards did to you when you were living with them." Bill whispered in her ear. Dorea's blush faded a little as she realized what he wanted to talk to her about.

The Dursleys.

"I - I -" Dorea attempted to come up with an excuse to not talk about it. She felt absolutely horrible when she couldn't come up with anything. Would he care about her after he hears everything that they did to her? Or would he drop her and shove her aside once he found out what a freak she was? Tears began to form as Dorea buried her face in Bill's chest, his hand running through her hair, his voice soft and whispering words of comfort.

Bill gazed at Dorea sadly. The poor girl didn't realize how special, how incredible she was. She was scared of talking about what happened to her as a child, but what abused child wouldn't be? He ran his fingers through her hair, the raven locks were both soft and silky. He could feel what he believed to be tears running down his chest - was Dorea scared enough to tell him that she had begun to cry?

"Seety, don't be scared, no matter what, I promise I won't hold anything against you for how they treated you." Bill whispered. Dorea looked up at Bill with wide, tearful eyes. Bill smiled slightly and kissed Dorea's forehead. Dorea smiled slightly and began to tell Bill about everything she could remember about living in the Dursley household.

**~O~O~O~ THE NEXT MORNING ~O~O~O~**

Michaela woke up at 8 in the morning thanks to the sun shining directly into her eyes. Grumbling, she sat up, glaring at the window.

"Over 100,000 kilometres away and it has perfect accuracy." she growled out, then noticed that her roommates, Cat and Sierra, had already gone down for breakfast. She got out of bed and moved over to the wardrobe that was set up for her. Each section of the room had been changed to fit Cat, Sierra, and Michaela's personal preferences. Cat's part of the room was bright oranges and yellows with white furniture, Sierra's part of the room was a mix of earthy greens and bright blues with silver-grey furniture, and Michaela's part of the room was red and black with ebony furniture. Michaela tore apart the doors to the wardrobe and began to choose an outfit for today - a strapless black dress that had a skirt that had a bit of a poof to it, black fingerless fishnet gloves with matching tights, black leather ankle boots, and wrapped a silver chain belt above the beginning of the skirt. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail, her side bangs barely brushing into her right eye. She looked into the mirror above her hip-height dresser, and decided that all the makeup she needed today was a bit of concealer for her Elvin Mark, which symbolized the Elvin family she came from, some eyeliner, mascara, and some pale pink lip gloss.

She quickly applied her makeup, checked her hair one more time, and ran from the bedroom, into the lounge room, and then into the Gryffindor Common Room. She arrived just in time for Charlie to walk out of his and Bill's dorm room. He was wearing dark jeans, a grey muggle sweatshirt, and muggle trainers. He smiled at Michaela and pointed to Dorea's dorm room.

"Bill stayed behind to talk to Dorea last night, and I know that Sirius and Remus crashed on her lounge floor. Mind waking them up for me?" he asked. Michaela smiled brightly at him and nodded, her heart beginning to beat a little faster as he beamed brightly at her and pulled her into a hug. "I'll save you some waffles, but I can't say much for any bacon!" he promised, then walked out the Gryffindor Common Room, leaving Michaela standing there, trying to calm her quick heart. _Why do I feel like this...? _Michaela thought, her face blushing a little as she thought about how happy Charlie looked when he was smiling like that.

Shoving her weird feelings to the side, Michaela made her way over to the golden wood doors with the Dorea's name on the golden plaque. She opened the door was was treated to quite a sight. Dorea and Bill were asleep on the sofa, Dorea in a white bra and her grey sweatpants, Bill only in his boxers, and Dorea sleeping on Bill's chest. It took one glance to the floor to see Sirius Black curled around a pillow, also in his boxers, and Remus sleeping eagle-spread, again, in his boxers. Michaela thought about it for a moment, just standing there in the doorway, and decided to save Dorea and Bill some humiliation by waking them up first instead of the two men on the floor first. Tiptoeing around the pair, she made her way to the sofa where she summoned a small vine, hardened it into a stick, and started poking Dorea and Bill, saying "Poke!" with every touch. It only took a few minutes of poking to wake up the both of them.

Dorea shifted slightly, trying to bury her head into Bill's chest even more. Michaela grinned widely and began poking even harder, only to get punched in the stomach by both Bill and Dorea. She stumbled back and sat on the coffee table, watching as Dorea and Bill both opened one eye and both eyes in order to glare at her. Bill had his one arm wrapped around Dorea's waist, and Dorea had one arm resting above Bill's heart. Both blinked, blushed, separated, and moved to opposite sides of the sofa, much to Michaela's amusement. Dorea glared at her childhood friend as she let out a loud belly-laugh to let the both of them know just how amusing this was to her.

"Aren't you glad I woke you up instead of Charlie, and woke you up before I woke up those two?" she asked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder and at the two sleeping Marauders on the floor. Dorea took one look at her godfather and pseudo-uncle before she burst out laughing as well, Bill chuckling at the sight of the two of them. Bill stood up, walked over to the silver eyed and browned eyed men, and kicked both of them in the ribs. Sirius woke up and let out a howl of pain, while Remus woke up hugging his ribs. Dorea just laughed even harder as Sirius started attacking Bill's leg, while Bill kept raining kicks down on Sirius' torso. Eventually, when Sirius stopped attacking Bill(thanks to Remus) and Bill stopped kicking Sirius(again, thanks to Remus), all three men left to get dressed and clean up before breakfast. Michaela, on the other hand, went with Dorea to pick out an outfit for her and to help with her hair. In the privacy of Dorea's room(red, gold, white, and white colour theme, only her room was what Michaela honestly expected of a wizarding Lady - king-sized, four poster bed, plush rug, ceiling to floor bookshelf, large dressers and wardrobe, there was even a fireplace for crying out loud!), Michaela and Dorea started gossiping. Who the girls at Hogwarts were known for opening their legs nice and wide, which boys were known for sleeping around, who the popular kids where, who the bitches and arseholes are, the likes. Finally, Michaela came to the topic of Bill.

"Sooo," Michaela started. Dorea mentally winced(she couldn't move her head since Michaela was working on her hair), she knew that tone to well from her primary school days. Michaela was about to tease her mercilessly. "You and Bill, huh?" she asked. Dorea's face burned bright red, and she looked away from the half-Elf.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." she denied. Michaela's smile stretched into an evil grin and she poked Dorea's cheek.

"You. Like. Bill." she said slowly. Dorea sent Michaela a glare with little effort behind it.

"What about you and Charlie, huh?" she demanded. Michaela's mind flashed to Charlie and how he looked this morning, her face tomato red.

"W-What are you talking about?" she stuttered, and Dorea grinned. So Michaela like Charlie, huh?

"Don't you like Charlie? The way you two were yesterday said you liked each other. And you move fast, don't you, you've barely known each other for a day!" Dorea teased, Michaela's face burning deeper and deeper red until she looked, honestly, like a ripe tomato. They sent each other identical looks, and nodded.

"I won't tease you if you don't tease me?" Michaela offered, holding out her hand. Dorea shook it, sealing the deal.

Both of them would keep their mouths shut from now on.

**~O~O~O~ IN THE GREAT HALL ~O~O~O~**

The groups of students and guests were, once again, in their respective groups. Slytherins at their table, Ravenclaws(except Luna Lovegood) at their table, Hufflepuffs(except Cedric and Sally-Anne) were at their table, and the Gryffindors(except the Weasley Twins, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, and Dorea((who was currently missing))) were at their table. The Order was at the round table on the round sofa, and the Dursleys were at their settee with their table. The Staff and Ministry members were at the Staff Table, and everyone was currently chatting and gossiping when the Great Hall Doors opened once again, Michaela and Dorea walking into the room. Jaws dropped as they looked at the two - Michaela, in her black dress and fishnets, and Dorea, wearing white short shorts, a silver tank top, a white shrug, and silver ballet flats. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail, her bangs straightened and across her forehead. Dorea and Michaela were walking arm in arm, laughing about something, and sat down on the sofa next to each other. Charlie, as promised, slid a plate of 3 plain waffles over to Michaela, who doused them in honey with strawberries and blueberries on top. Dorea accepted a plate of 5 waffles smothered in maple syrup and butter with a few raspberries and strawberries on the side from Bill. There were also two eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, and 4 breakfast sausages on the plate. Dorea sent Bill a look, which he responded with a serious gaze.

"You're going to eat everything on that plate, Dorea, even if I have to feed you myself." he ordered. Dorea's cheeks flushed as she heard Michaela snickering - she knew her friend had to be planning something that involved her.

They had agreed not to tease each other, but they never mentioned anything about not trying to get them together.

The moment was ruined by Umbridge clearing her throat, her toad-like gaze on everyone.

"Yes, well, as agreed by the professors last night, we will spend one week readings, then one week in doubled classes to ensure that nothing is missed in the lessons." At that statement, there was loud complaints from every student that didn't read the textbooks ahead of time. Dorea rolled her eyes as Ron, Gred, and Forge turned out to be the loudest of the bunch. Umbridge was forced to make a loud BANG emit from her wand in order to make every student shut up and pay attention. "Now, is there someone who would like to read next?" she asked, to be polite. Molly Weasley raised her hand, offering to read. Umbridge held back a sneer as she levitated the book over to the Weasley Matriarch, who opened it from the marker and read the next chapter title.

**~The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters~ **

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 9,744**

**I must say, this chapter was a pain to write. Yeah, I know that I probably could've written more for the Gryffindor part, but the idea for them is they knew Dorea enough to know that with the upbringing she had, she couldn't possibly lie about something as horrible as Voldemort coming back. Which is why they were swarming her and apologizing - also because most of them must have realized that the way they had been treating Dorea must have reminded her of the Dursleys.**

**Review Count: 72**

**72?! _72?!_ I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO MUCH! AWESOMENESS! THIS IS EPICAL!(a word of my own creation) I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO SO SO SO SO(and so on and so on) MUCH RIGHT NOW! THAT'S 12 MORE THAN I WAS HOPING FOR!**

**Review Goal for Chapter 6: 80**

**80 should be easy enough, I'm rounding down at the moment so the 72 is about 70. My goal is always to get about 10 reviews per chapter.**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
V **

**LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW THIS INTERLUDE WAS!**


	7. Book 1: Chapter 6

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan!**

**A few days late, but _HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!_**

**Also - one day after I post the Interlude, and it's already got 81 reviews. I REALLY LOVE YOU ALL RIGHT NOW! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ME?! *tears up* I... I... *cries from happiness* YOU GUYS ARE MY LIFE!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Figg bothered me in the fifth book, too. She is a Squib from a time when the wizarding world clearly neglected or even abused Squibs, which means she should recognize an abused or neglected child right off the bat. Also, how she came AFTER the Dementors had already fled in OotP. If she knew Mundungus had left, why didn't she invite Harry over to her house when she saw him walking down the street? That seems like a pretty smart thing to do! And honestly, that's how I see the Slytherin House - they base their workings, when it involves public or political matters, on standing. Head Boy and Girl get main say, Prefects offer advice to the Heads, and everyone else can vote on or oppose a decision. If the Head Boy or Girl makes a decision without consulting the Prefects, then the decision is based off making the Slytherin House appear better than it already does. Snape is pretty much just an adviser to the Heads and Prefects in Slytherin, an adviser that most of them will no longer trust. And thank you for the compliment on how I portrayed the Houses, and honestly? Standing up for Luna was a spur of the moment sort of thing, I hadn't really had it planned, but it worked out quite nicely, didn't it? And the Hufflepuffs are having a party over the fact that they get to spend more time with Cedric. Before Cedric entered the Common Room, they were pretty much like the Ravenclaws - sitting around and thinking over what they had just discovered that day. After Cedric walked in, they became so happy at the fact that they temporarily regained a lost Puff that they needed to celebrate it. Dorea will become aware of the Blood Feuds that the Potter Family has shortly - I'm thinking about making the Malfoys and Potters have a Blood Feud as well, and in on the train Malfoy was attempting to eliminate that Feud, only for Dorea to(unintentionally) make it stronger. Susan will be joining Sally-Anne soon, not sure exactly when, but soon. And the Veela Nationalities only makes sense to me, it's like polar bears versus grizzly bears. They're the same thing, but their outwards appearance and how they live are totally different based on their locations. I really do put a lot of effort into these chapters, and making up more things to put into them to make the story my own instead of just changing up Rowling's work is a ton of fun!**

**LM Ryder: I won't make them hurt Snape too badly, though I'm thinking about having Lily confront Snape near the end of the chapter. Yes, the Marauders deserve bad treatment, but you need to remember, while they usually picked the fights, Snape fought back equally viciously and that makes him just the same as them. Sure, they outnumbered him 4 to 1, but they payed the price for their actions, whereas Snape did not. James was murdered, Sirius was living in Hell-On-Earth for 12 years, Lupin could barely hold down a job long enough for him to buy provisions, and Pettigrew was stuck living as a pet rat in hiding for 12 years. Snape, on the other hand, was a Death Eater, someone who murders, tortures, and rapes on a weekly basis, and he got off easy by telling Dumbledore he was sorry and telling him who Voldemort was targeting - once. ONCE. JKR never mentions in the books of Snape telling the Order anything on importance until it was the last minute, when they could hardly change anything. And as for your reason for liking Snape so much, I can actually understand that. And I understand where Snape is coming from when he started getting interested in the Dark Arts, I myself have been the victim of bullying and abuse at the hands of my brother, and I'm actually interested in what the Dark Arts entail - not to cause mass destruction like Moldy does, but because I want to know how this power works and why, and what these spells actually do. I think Draco might try to defend Snape, but because of what happened with Warrington in the Interlude, he's gonna keep his mouth shut.**

**Guest-That-Said-Dorea's-Portion-Size-Isn't-Healthy: Considering the amount of food Molly serves her family(in the second book it states she gives Harry 8 or 9 sausages, not including the rest of his breakfast), Bill sees that as a pretty small serving size for someone Dorea's age. The reason that the Weasleys are so thin is simple, in my mind at least: MAGIC.**

**~O~O~O~**

**~The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.~** Molly read, smiling as she did so. Dorea and the Weasley Boys that still attended Hogwarts all grinned at each other, though Dorea was beginning to play around with the pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausages that were still on her plate. She had only eaten one of each, and all the fruit that had been on her plate. One warning glance from Bill had her eating again, though. She glared at the Curse Breaker as he poured her a goblet of pumpkin juice and put a bowl of sliced fruit in front of her, smiling all the while. Just because she didn't really get to enjoy this sort of food at the Dursleys didn't mean that he had to stuff her until she blew up!

**~Dorea's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun at all.~**

"The Dursleys are never fun, I thought you knew that by now." Michaela said, giving Dorea an odd look. The ravenette shrugged.

"They were less fun than they normally are." she explained as Michaela took a giant bite out of her waffle.

**~True, Dudley was now so scared of Dorea he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Dorea in her cupboard, force her to do anything, or shout at her, in fact, they didn't speak to her at all.~**

Most of the students in the Hall were confused as to why this was a bad thing, but Sirius shuddered and moved over to Dorea to envelope her in a hug. He knew what that was like - for everyone in your household to not speak to you, not feed you, not acknowledge you, and act like you aren't even there. Even if they are an abusive family, the ignoring hurt the most - it was like lining up for a photo, and when you're cut out or covered by someone else and no one notices or cares. It hurt more than anyone could assume.

**~Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Dorea in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many different ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.~**

Sirius and Dorea both nodded solemnly, each thinking about how living in that sort of environment was. This got Dorea thinking to her fourth year - Sirius was going to kill every student that turned against her under the assumption that Dorea had entered her own name, just because of what their attitudes reminded her of.

Her childhood at the Dursleys.

**~Dorea kept to her room, with her new owl for company. She had decided to call her Hedwig,~**

Here, Hedwig(who was perched on Lily's shoulder), gave out a loud hoot, making everyone laugh as Lily started preaching about how Hedwig was clearly the fastest, smartest, and most beautiful owl in existence, and then Hedwig's puffing out her chest and appearing to look full of herself - until she swooped down and stole some of Dorea's bacon, that is. When that happened, Fred and George vowed to called Hedwig, from that day onward, Bacon Thief. They were currently working on a theme song to sing when Hedwig flew into any room.

**~a name she had found in A History of Magic. ~**

"I thought you said you never read that?" Hermione asked. Dorea smiled angelically at her.

"I said I would never read it again, if you'd recall." she sang out, then laughed at the indignant look on Hermione and Ron's faces as they suddenly realized that they had been tricked by Dorea for the past 4 years.

**~Her school books were very interesting.~**

"_NOOOOO_!" Sirius, James, Fred, George, Ron, Charlie, Fabian, and Gideon all screamed. Bill, Arthur, Lily, Remus, Ginny, and Hermione, however, just laughed harder and harder at the looks on their faces, while Dorea shook her head in shame.

Several professors all sighed, remembering the marks of those students. They were all(well, except maybe Ron, who was just lazy) very bright and did well in school, but they hated reading with a passion.

**~She lay on her bed reading late into the night,~**

The prior mentioned to be shouting had begun sobbing at the fact that Dorea had, as they claimed, "Gone to the brainy side". They would have said Dark Side, but that was Voldemort's side. They knew Dorea wanted nothing to do with that murdering, sociopathic megalomaniac.

**~Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice.~**

Petunia shuddered, clearly remembering all the mice skeletons that had been in Dorea's rubbish pail during the summers. Dorea, however, was praising Hedwig on being an absolutely amazing huntress. Needless to say, Michaela and Bill started teasing Dorea for having an owl with an ego the size of Britain.

**~Every night before she went to sleep, Dorea ticked off anther day on the piece of paper she had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.~**

"I DID THAT!" every student or guest that had attended Hogwarts shouted in unison. Dorea smiled, so she wasn't as alone as she once thought.

**~On the last day of August she thought she'd better speak to her aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day,~**

"Less time for them to change their minds about it, and more time to cool down after the tail incident. Good thinking, girl!" Moody said, nodding his head in approval. Good strategy, that was. Keep it late enough so that she could not only still make the arrangement, but also so they were thinking clearly enough to actually take her there.

**~so she went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. She cleared her throat to let them know she was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.~**

Most of the students in the Hall started laughing, while many of the older guests looked confused.

"Why were you scared of her, she didn't know any magic yet." Lily asked, making Dudley blush. In all honesty, it was because when she had been away school shopping, his father had told Dudley that all witches and wizards were allowed to perform any magic they wanted before they got to school. He had been afraid that Dorea would use him as a test dummy for any spells she was interested in.

**~"Er Uncle Vernon?" Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

**"Er I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to , to go to Hogwarts." Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?" Grunt. Dorea supposed that meant yes.~**

"You speak troll now?" Bill chuckled. Dorea grinned.

"Oh yeah, it's real easy. And trolls understand basic things too - shouting, running, throwing faucets and pipes at their heads, to name a few things..." she stated, grinning at Ron and Hermione, who grinned back. Then all three paled as they remembered that Molly Weasley would be discovering what had happened that Halloween - Ron made sure that Percy didn't find out what happened, meaning that his mother never knew.

**~"Thank you."~**

"So _polite_." Molly and Lily cooed. Ron groaned and held his head.

"You're making the rest of us look bad!" he whined, making Dorea and Ginny laugh at his expression.

**~She was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke to her, much to her surprise. "Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"~**

"No, they're just illegal in Europe. They're completely legal everywhere else in the world, though, and are generally used as either transportation for a family or for transporting items that require a ton of space." Bill said, causing his younger siblings at attended Hogwarts to stare at him. "We use them when we go into towns to stock up on supplies!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

**~Dorea didn't say anything. What could she say? Hagrid didn't say anything about how she was going to get there.~**

At that mention, Hagrid blushed and stammered out an apology.

**~"Where is this school, anyway?"~**

"Northern Scotland." Dorea answered - it was only a few years late.

**~"I don't know," said Dorea, realizing this for the first time. She pulled the ticket Hagrid had given her out of her coat pocket. "I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," she read.**

**Her aunt and uncle stared. "Platform _what_?"~**

"What're _you_ talking about, Petunia? You've been there before." Lily said, glaring at her sister. If Petunia did that purposely to just simply to make a fool of Dorea, she would _PAY_.

**~"Nine and three-quarters."**

**"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."~**

"Yes there is, it's just simply warded to look like the wall of a pillar. It was made using-" Ginny slapped a hand over Hermione's mouth before she went into lecture mode.

**~"It's on my ticket."**

**"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them.~**

"Nah, only some of us." Fred said happily, smiling over at Vernon.

**~You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

**"Why are you going to London?" Dorea asked, trying to keep things as friendly as they could be.~**

"Why bother?" asked Cedric. Dorea shrugged.

"If I was polite to him then he would be more likely to tell me why, and I still needed that ride to Kings Cross." she said. Michaela nodded.

"Yeah, knowing my family, they wouldn't give you a ride if you asked, since you're my friend." she said, a sad look on her face. Charlie, not liking that expression on her, pulled Michaela into a hug and tucked her head under his chin. Dorea and Bill grinned at the pair, looking from Michaela's bright pink face to Charlie's comforting expression. They so liked each other.

**~"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."~**

The Hall started laughing, while Fabian and Gideon looked upset.

"But think of how interesting that would be!" Fabian shouted.

"That would lead to so many conversations-"

"-That would make him more well known-"

"-And eventually he would've been famous-"

"-All because of "that ruddy tail", as you say!"

**~Dorea woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.~**

Every person that had attended or was attending Hogwarts nodded in agreement with that statement.

**~She couldn't wait to find out what Hogwarts was like, but by far she couldn't wait for Potions.~**

Snape's head shot up in shock. She couldn't wait for _what now_?

**~After all, once she read the textbook, it was obvious exactly how close cooking and potions were related.~**

Molly nodded in agreement with Dorea's thoughts on the subject. She had gotten an O on her Potions NEWTs, and because of that she was also an amazing chef as well.

**~She got up and pulled on her jeans, because she didn't want to walk into the station in her wizard's robes, she'd change when she was on the train.~**

"Which is a much smarter thing to do - you have no idea how many Obliviations we go through a year because of wizards and witches that don't know any better." Kingsley said. Many girls in the Hall swooned at his baritone voice, making Fred and George grin at each other. Dorea could tell they were having some sort of mental conversation of some sort, seeing as she got a full view of the impish grins.

**~She checked his Hogwarts list yet again, just to make sure she had everything she needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced around the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.**

**Two hours later, Dorea's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Dorea,~**

"More like bribed him into it with getting burgers for him in London." Dorea muttered, looking down at the food she had been given. She had eaten most of it, but she really couldn't eat much more. She wasn't a Weasley, she didn't have their massive stomachs!

**~and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Dorea's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for her.~**

"They're being nice..." Sierra said suspiciously, glaring at the strangely silent Vernon and Petunia. Marge was shouting something, but by the looks of it, Sprout had silenced her to keep the peace and to finish the chapter sooner.

**~Dorea thought that this was strangely kind, until Uncle Vernon stopped dead,~**

"Too bad he didn't drop dead of a heart attack." Neville sighed, making the circle burst into very loud laughter. Molly was looking horrified at Neville, while almost everyone else was attempting to high-five him for saying what they were all thinking.

**~facing the platforms with a very nasty grin on his face that Dorea recognized in a heartbeat. That was usually the grin he got after Dorea performed accidental magic...~**

Bill sent a hex Vernon's way, remembering what Dorea had told him last night. He then noticed that Dorea had eaten most of what was on her plate, but was fooling around with what was left. is eyes narrowed as he poked her side.

"You need to eat." he muttered. Dorea sent him a half-hearted glare.

"I really can't eat anymore - you put too much on my plate." she said. Bill looked at her apologetically, then dumped the uneaten food onto Ron's plate, who sucked it up like a vacuum cleaner.

**~"Well, there you are, girl.~**

"Don't call her girl." Charlie growled, his arms still wrapped around Michaela.

**~Platform nine - and platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but it doesn't like like they have built it yet, does it?"**

**He was quite right, of course.~**

"_Not_." Ginny snorted. Theodore Nott's head shot up.

"Who called my name?" he asked, making the Slytherins fall into snickers while the rest of the Hall stared at him in shock. Ginny's ears burned bright red, and she began to hide them behind her hair.

**~There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, there was only the pillars.~**

"Looks can be deceiving, duh." Hermione rolled her eyes. Dorea grinned.

"Yeah, like how you look like the typical nerd,("OI!" Hermione screeched, making Ron wince and cover his ears. "Sorry, Ronald...") but you broke Malfoy's nose once." she chuckled, her grin stretching even wider at the memory. The Weasleys, except Molly and Percy, all started congratulating Hermione, the Twins began bawling and saying how proud of Hermione they were.

**~"Have a good term, brat." said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile that made the scars on Dorea's back tingle.~**

Absolute silence.

"Dorea..." Molly ground out. "Why are there scars... On your back... That began to tingle?" Dorea looked like dear caught in the headlights, looking up at Bill with scared eyes. Bill then pulled Dorea into his lap, keeping her in what felt like, to her at least, a warm and safe embrace. Dorea slowly nuzzled her head into the crook of Bill's neck, she felt like Voldemort could never harm her when Bill was hugging her like this.

Meanwhile, Bill was sending his mother a look that clearly meant _Read. Now._ Molly took one look at Dorea, whose hands were twisting Bill's shirt into tight knots, and decided it would probably be best for her to read on.

**~He left without another word. Dorea turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing at her.~**

Everyone in the Hall began to fume at the idea. How could someone leave a child in the busiest train station in London, and laugh at the fact that they had done so? It was disgusting!

**~Dorea's mouth went dry and her face burned with a blush. What on earth was she going to do? She was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because Hedwig was hooting indignantly at the Dursleys and glaring at them as they left.~**

Hedwig took this moment to glare once again at the Dursleys again, like she always did when one of them would enter Dorea's room.

**~She'd actually have to ask someone about the platform.~**

"That's bad for cover..." Moody growled, glaring at the Dursleys. Petunia Dursley knew where the platform was and how to get onto it, but she tried to get Dorea in trouble with muggle authorities anyway. She was the worst kinds of criminals - the ones who could get away with the things they did in public because of who they were.

**~She stopped a passing guard to ask about the train, but she didn't dare to mention platform nine and three-quarters.~**

"Good, otherwise that would be quite the mess to clean up." Tonks nodded, her hair turning from the black it went to at the mention of scars to an acid green. Dudley looked up at the woman curiously, wondering how she could do that. Did it happen naturally, depending on her mood? Or could she control it?

**~The guard had never heard of Hogwarts, but Dorea had expected that, honestly. But when Dorea couldn't tell him what part of the country it was in, he started getting annoyed, as though Dorea was acting stupid on purpose.~**

"Hey!" Dorea shouted, glaring at the book. She barely noted that Fleur seemed to be glaring at Dorea in a way that would've killed her 10 times over already.

**~Getting a little desperate, Dorea asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard angrily said that there wasn't one.**

**In the end the guard strode quickly away, muttering something about time wasters. Dorea was not trying very had not to panic in public. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, she only had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and she had absolutely no idea how to do it; she was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk she could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.~**

"It said 10 minutes until the train leaves, right?" Bill muttered. Dorea nodded, making him grin. "I think I know how you got onto the platform just fine, then." he said, grinning at his mother. Charlie caught his gaze and let out a chuckle, knowing exactly what Bill was thinking. Weasleys to the rescue!

**~Hagrid must have accidentally forgotten to tell her something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Ally.~**

"Nah, that's just Diagon." James said brightly. "You've got to run a the barrier - it activates when it recognizes the person going up to it has magic stronger than a muggle's, but deactivates when it senses a muggle coming up to it. It's to prevent the platform from being figured out." he explained. Dorea and Ron shared a knowing glance - so that was how the barrier locked them out when they went to get onto the platform in second year, Dobby masked their magic to make the barrier believe they were muggles.

**~She wondered if she should get out her wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.~**

"DON'T!" Sirius shouted, making everyone look at ihs curiously while Remus and James started laughing hysterically.

"Before our third year, Siri here got a little curious-" James started.

"-And decided to tap the barrier to see what would happen." Remus continued.

"It blew up in his face-" James chortled.

"-And he was bright purple for a week afterwords!" Remus finished, making everyone else begin laughing at the Lord's bad luck.

**~At that moment a group of people passed just behind her, and she caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"- packed with Muggles, of course -"~**

"And help is on the way!" Susan said, making girls giggle and boys chuckle. She noticed that Sally-Anne was patting the seat next to her, practically begging Susan to sit next to her with her eyes. Being the loyal Puff that she was, Susan jumped the back of the sofa and took the seat in between Sally-Anne and Ron.

**~Dorea swung around.**

**The speaker was a plump woman in a long dress who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.~**

"WEASLEYS TO THE RESCUE!" Bill and Charlie both shouted, making Dorea and Michaela both wince slightly at the loud noise while the rest of the Hall laughed at their outburst.

"Entering Weasley Matriarch holding hands with young Ginny Weasley, followed by Percy the Prat, the Devil Twins Fred and George, and ending the train of redheads in Chess Master Ron!" Lee said in his commentators voice, making the rest of the Hall laugh even harder while Ginny, Molly, and Ron all blushed, and Percy looked absolutely horrified. Why did Lee call him a prat?

**~Each of them was pushing a trunk like Dorea's in front of them, and they had an _owl_.~**

"Don't trust someone based on their belongings." Moody grumbled. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Alright, how many muggles own owls, then?" she asked the ex-Auror. When Moody didn't answer, Dorea gained a smug smirk. "Thought so."

**~Heart hammering, Dorea pushed her cart after them. They came to a stop and so did she, just near enough to hear what they were saying, but far enough so as to not be noticed if they were to look around.~**

Moody nodded appreciatively, while Umbridge glared. No good bratlette, eavesdropping on innocent citizens...

**~"Now, what's the platform number?" asked the boys' mother.~**

"Who were you asking, the boys or Ginny?" Lily asked good-naturedly. Molly smiled over at her fellow redhead.

"Ginny. I wanted to make sure she knew what the platform was for the next year." she said simply, making Ginny shake her head slowly. She had answered that question every year up until the year she went off to Hogwarts.

**~"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her mother's hand. "Mum, can't I go..."**

**"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet.~**

"Rude much." Ginny muttered under her breath so her mother wouldn't hear her.

**~All right, Percy, you go first."**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched importantly toward platforms nine and ten.~**

Percy blinked. Had he really been full of himself, like the Twins had always said? _No no, Dorea's a liar, she's telling lies for attention, she's mistaken..._

**~Dorea watched, careful not to blink in case she should miss it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.~**

"That sucks." Angelina said, pouting.

**~"Fred, you next." the plump woman said.**

**"I'm not Fred, I'm George," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, woman, and you call yourself out mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"**

**"Sorry George, dear."**

**"Only joking, I am Fred." said the boy, a grin on his face. Dorea could see that it couldn't quite reach his eyes - could it be he was disappointed that his own mother couldn't tell him and his twin apart?~**

Molly's jaw dropped as she read the line, and both Fred and George were glancing down at their hands.

"Hit the nail on the head, you did." Fred muttered. Molly's eyes widened and began to fill with shameful tears. Was that why Fred and George always played that trick? Arthur glanced at Dorea.

"You can tell them apart too?" he asked. Molly ducked her head down - her husband could always tell the twins apart, but she never could. She felt so ashamed to call herself a mother...

Lily, sensing that Molly needed a moment, gently took the book from her hands and continued where Molly left off.

**~He walked towards the barrier, and the next moment, he vanished. Dorea blinked and rubbed her eyes - she must have seen incorrectly.**

**Now the third boy, Fred's brother George, judging by his mother naming them earlier, was walking briskly towards the barrier and was almost there - and then , quite suddenly, he wasn't there anymore either.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

**"Excuse me, Dorea said to the plump woman.~**

"Is she _really_?" Ginny asked - she had never noticed at about her mother. Dorea sent her an indignant look.

"She had 7 children, that's gotta take effect on anyone's body!" she practically shouted. "Women usually have difficulty working off the weight they gain from one child, let alone 7! Besides, do you guys realize how big the portions you guys eat are?!"

**~"Oh, hello, dead." she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big feet and hands, and a rather long nose.~**

Ron threw a sausage at Dorea, which hit Bill's forehead. Dorea, on the other hand, grinned at her best friend and gave him three fingers - her index, middle and ring fingers.

"In between the lines, Ron." she said. Bill smiled and burst out laughing - Dorea was flipping Ron off! "No one's descriptions are likely to be flatering, you read all the other descriptions!"

**~"Yes," said Dorea. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"**

**"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Dorea nodded. "Not to worry," she said, smiling at Dorea. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop, and don't be scared that you'll crash into it,~**

Ron and Dorea both flinched at the mention of crashing into the barrier. Dorea put a hand on her ribs - they had been bruised for _weeks _after that crash.

**~Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

**"Er - okay," said Dorea. She pushed her troller around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.~**

"It is." Dorea and Ron both groaned, making Lily and James exchange looks. When had they crashed into the barrier, and why? Where the Weasleys late one day, and Dorea and Ron were the last ones to get onto the platform?

**~She started to walk towards it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Dorea walked more quickly as to not get trampled. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she's be in big trouble -~**

"We really were." Ron groaned, a hand on his forehead. Bill and Charlie looked at him oddly, wondering when the barrier closed on him. Judging by Molly's angry expression, he didn't do something all that smart after the barrier closed, either.

**~leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run -~**

"Don't want to do that when the barrier's closed." Dorea grumbled, rubbing her ribs and arm that had gotten hit during the collision.

**~the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - she wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control -~**

"At least we had that excuse." Ron muttered, glaring at the table. Stupid Dobby sealing the barrier...

**~she was a foot away - she closed her eyes, ready for the crash -~**

"Crashing into that really hurt." Dorea winced, remembering it clearly.

**~It didn't come...~**

"_That_ time." Ron and Dorea both shouted at the book. Seamus looked amused.

"So that's why you two chose the car?" he asked, making Dorea and Ron nod. A Slytherin first year's jaw dropped.

"Those stories are _true_?" she asked. Dorea began spluttering while the rest of the Hall laughed. Now that Molly appeared to have calmed down, Lily handed the book back to her so she could continue reading.

**~She kept running... She opened her eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, Eleven O'Clock. Dorea looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.**

**She had done it.~**

The Hall applauded, several of the older boys making cat calls and wolf whistles. Smith rolled his eyes - why these people actually cared about Dorea Potter he didn't know why, it was obvious to him that she had murdered Cedric.

**~Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Dorea pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat.**

**She passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

**"Oh, Neville," she heard the old woman in a vulture hat sigh.~**

"_Told you_ he was an escape artist." Dorea taunted, to which Neville responded by sticking out his tongue at his friend.

**~A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**"Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.~**

Michaela jumped up with at shriek and started shuttering violently. Charlie and Dorea both started comforting her, Bill looking over at Sierra.

"Why's she so scared of spiders?" he asked. Sierra's gaze darkened.

"When she was 5 her older brother pushed her into a tank of spiders, which made all of them fall onto Michaela. Worst part of it was that they were all venomous - tarantulas, black widows, camel spiders, the like. Michaela's been traumatized since, and even the thought of a spider makes her shudder." she explained. Ron's jaw dropped.

"And I thought Fred turning my teddy into a spider when I was 3 was bad! That's just downright cruel!" he exclaimed. Cat nodded.

"That's our homelives." she muttered darkly. Fred looked at her worriedly, was that sort of stuff normal for them? Dan decided now to pipe up.

"Dante's scared of snakes from when he was pushed into a snake pit when he was 8, Cat's terrified of canines after her parents brought her into a kennel and she was almost mauled by them, Sierra's scared of spiders and is claustaphobic after her older brother locked her in a coffin at a museum, and I'm scared of the dark and of salamanders after a prank my cousins pulled on me." he shuddered, the memories fluttering through his head. When the word of what those 5 were scared of and why got around the Hall, each of them earned pitiful looks. No one else in the Hall had to deal with families like their's, and although Cat's might not have been the result of abuse, it was still traumatic.

**~Dorea pressed on through the crowd until she found an empty compartment near the end of the train. She put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave her trunk toward the train door. She tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice she dropped it painfully on her foot.~**

Everyone in the Hall winced sympathetically. They all had done that once or twice.

**~"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins she'd followed through the barrier.~**

"You offered help? _Without_ an incentive?" Ginny asked, awed. George shrugged.

"She looked pretty pitiful - tiny kid, no adult helping her - so I decided that I ought to play nice." he said. Ginny rolled her eyes, not believing that it was George for one moment.

**~George, she noted.~**

Ginny's jaw dropped. So it _was_ George!

"You got it right without us even introducing ourselves!" the Twins exclaimed, grinning at Dorea. She shrugged.

"George has a slightly narrower nose, Fred has bluer eyes." she stated. Molly looked closely at her sons and realized that what Dorea had said was true, and this made her feel even worse. Shouldn't she have been able to pick that out, she had been around the two for much longer than Dorea had!

Moody grunted at Dorea's statement.

"Seems to me that you picked up details that most people miss - that could save your life one day." he growled out, a twisted grin on his face. Arthur just indicated to Molly to continue reading - he didn't want to hear Moody go on a rant for the upteenth time this week.

**~"Yes, please," Dorea panted, smiling up at George for offering help.**

**"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" Fred came jogging over, and Dorea couldn't help but notice the resemblance between these two and the red haired boy from her dreams. Related, perhaps?**

**With the twins' help, Dorea's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

**"Thanks," said Dorea, pushing her sweaty hair out of her eyes.**

**"What's that?" said one of the twins, Fred, suddenly, pointing at Dorea's lightning scar.~**

Dorea walked over to the Twins and clapped a hand on each other their shoulders.

"I am proud to say that you two are the first ones to ever gawk at my scar!" she said jokingly. Fred and George burst into fake tears, hugging Dorea and saying how proud they were. Bill was seething in jealousy, though he didn't know why. The emotion passed when Dorea skipped back over to him and all but jumped into his lap, leaving behind two snickering devils.

**~"Blimey," said George. "Are you ?"**

**"She is," said Fred. "Aren't you?" he added to Dorea.**

**"What?" said Dorea, honestly confused.**

**"Dorea Potter." chorused the two of them.**

**"Oh, yeah,"~**

Lily chuckled and shook her head.

"If that was your father, he would puff out his chest and start a huge speech about how wonderful he was." she said, only to get playfully whacked by said man. Dorea giggled as she watched her parents play fight, it was actually kind of cute.

**~said Dorea. "Yeah, yeah I am."**

**The two boys gawked at her, before Fred and George both bowed at the waist.**

**"Gred-" said George.**

**"-And Forge-" said Fred.**

**"-Weasley at your service, madam." they chorused.~**

""At your service"? _Really_?" Gideon asked, eyebrows raised. Gred shrugged.

"We meant that we were willing to prank anyone that bullied her." Forge answered for his twin. Dorea snorted.

"More like you two started dragging _me_ on the simpler pranks with _you_." she laughed, causing Molly to look horrified at her sons and James to start cheering over the fact that his daughter had been pulling pranks since her first year.

**~Dorea felt her face turn red.**

**Then, to her great relief, their mother's voice came floating through the train's open door.~**

"I can never thank you enough for that."

**~"Fred? George? Are you there?"**

**"Coming, Mum."**

**With a last look at dorea, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Dorea sat down next to the window where, half hidden, she could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying, but they probably wouldn't be able to see her. Hear, possibly, but only if she made a loud noise.~**

Moody nodded appreciatively at Dorea's seating arrangement while Molly stared at Dorea in shock. Ginny, however, was blushing bright red. Oh Merlin, and she had been such a fangirl back then, too!

**~Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose." The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. Dorea winced - that was total social suicide. The only way to make up for it was being a bullying prat like Dudley was.~**

Molly looked shocked at this revelation. She had never realized that it was that bad to be seen having your mother do that in public.

Fabian and Gideon looked at Molly, ashamed. Hadn't she been the one worried about social standing when attending Hogwarts? Shouldn't she know that having your mother do that was social suicide, no matter where you were?

**~"Mum - geroff!" he managed to wriggle free.**

**"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said Fred.~**

Both mentioned laughed openly at that statement, seeing as how it described how Ron felt like he was treated by Molly. Untintentionally, of course, but it was still how he was treated.

**~"Shut up," grumbled Ron, covering his nose.**

**"Where's Percy?" said their mother, oblivious to the way that Ron and the twins were slowly pulling away from her as she searched for the oldest son.**

**"He's coming now." replied George, gently putting a hand on Ron's shoulder.~**

Molly looked like she was about to burst into tears, so Lily took the book once again. Molly felt horrible - was that why Bill and Charlie moved out of the country for their jobs? Why Percy had pushed away so much? Was she that overbearing?

**~The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Dorea couldn't help but notice an extremely shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter _P_ on it.~**

Percy flushed a little - just because he polished his badge didn't mean that it was extremely shiny!

**~"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"~**

"Merlin, why are you so formal with your own _mother_?" Gideon asked, confused. Percy's eyes narrowed. He... He didn't _know_, actually. He had only started acting like that after he had gotten his prefect badge...

**~"Oh, are you a _prefect_, Percy?" said George, with an air of great surprise. You really should have said something, we had _no_ idea."**

**"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said Fred. "Once-"**

**"-Or twice-"**

**"-A minute-"**

**"-All summer-"~**

The Hall laughed as the twins stook up and took an extravagant bow. Even Percy was chuckling - he had been quite the prat that summer, hadn't he?

**~"Oh, shut up." said Percy the Prefect.~**

Fred and George looked amazed.

"Why didn't _we_ ever think of that?" asked Fred, and George shook his head.

"Not a clue."

**~"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said George, glaring at the ground slightly. Clearly new clothing was an issue with the Weasleys, did they not have much money?~**

"Spot on." Malfoy chuckled. Dorea sent him a glare.

"I suggest you shut your mouth if you don't want me to sew it shut - the muggle way." she growled. Dante winced slightly and put his fingers to his lips - some Nymph children he had met once had done that to him when he was 13, and it wasn't pleasant in the slightest. Thank whoever had mercy on him that he could turn into water when he entered a body of the liquid.

**~"Because he's a _prefect_," said their mother fondly.~**

"That's not worth special treatment - if anything, it makes the children who aren't prefects feel worse about themselves about it." Sirius said, his eyes narrowed. He had been ridiculed by his mother for not being a prefect when Regulus got the badge. Molly slowly started to cry - she was a horrible mother, wasn't she?

**~"All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on his cheek and he left. She then turned to the twins, her face suddenly serious. "Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get onne more owl telling me that you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"~**

Lily groaned while the Marauders, the Prewitt Twins, and the Trio laughed.

"Never give a prankster ideas, Minnie learned that the hard way!" Remus hollered. McGonagall smiled.

"Yes, well, seeing the Slytherin Quidditch team wearing pink tutus after they won the Quidditch Cup was very pleasing revenge indeed." she smirked. The Marauders just ended up laughing even harder - they had been in first year when they pulled that prank, and McGonagall had actually rewarded them points. The Slytherin Seeker had not only caught the Snitch by elbowing the Gryffindor Seeker in the face, but he had hit the Gryffindor Keeper in the head with the tail of his own broom. That revenge was, indeed, necessary.

**~Blown up a _toilet_? We've _never_ blown up a toilet."**

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."**

**"It's _not funny_. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

**"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.~**

"Would you stop mentioning that?" Ron huffed, glaring at Dorea. She shrugged.

"I didn't write this book, those three that came earlier did!" she defended herself. Ron's glared intensified.

"These are your thoughts, though!" he pointed out. Dorea allowed herself to grin, mirth dancing in her eyes.

"Yeah, they are, aren't they?" she teased. Ron groaned, realizing then and there that he was doomed. Halloween first year...

**~"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Dorea leaned back quickly so they couldn't see her looking.~**

Moody and Sirius, the Aurors of the group, nodded in approval. It wouldn't do her any good to get caught eavesdropping, that's how Auror missions were compromised.

**~"You know that black-haired girl who was near us in the station? Know who she is?"**

**"Who?"**

**"Dorea Potter!"**

**Dorea heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see her, Mummy, oh _please_ -"~**

Ginny buried her head in her arms at the laughter that this caused. Ron, however, could see her red ears through her hair.

**~Dorea's eyes narrowed. This was the girl that didn't spare her a glance when she thought Dorea was just a normal kid, but now that the girl knew who she was, she suddenly wanted to see her?~**

"I'm sorry, I was a total fangirl back then." Ginny's muffled apology sounded from under the mop of red hair. Dorea just waved it off.

"Don't mention it." she said simply.

**~"You've already seen her, Ginny, and the poor girl isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is she really, Fred? How do you know?"~**

"Thanks for that, by the way. Most people don't seem to realize that I am still a person with emotions and eyes when they first meet me." Dorea said, making most of the students in the Hall blush and look at their feet.

**~"Asked her. Saw her scar. It's really there like lightning."~**

"Potter Runes are the coolest." James said, nodding. "We'll take a look at your scar after you and Bill get back from Diagon tonight."

**~"Poor dear no wonder she was alone, I wondered. She was ever so polite when she asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think she remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" George asked eagerly. Dorea raised an eyebrow, all she remembered from that night was Voldemort's laugh and a bunch of green light. Not what he looked like.**

**Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask her, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though she needs reminding of that on her first day at school."~**

Molly actually did burst into tears here - she had called her son by the wrong name, again. And this time she had been _scolding_ him, too!

**~"All right, keep your hair on." George said. Dorea could hear how upset he really was in his voice.~**

Molly began to sob.

**~A whistle sounded. "Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.~**

Ginny's ears burned a brighter red as girls in the Hall cooed about how cute that was. Then some of their friends pointed out to them that Ginny was 10 at that time, and shouldn't by crying about her brothers leaving for school.

"I WAS CRYING BECAUSE I COULDN'T TAKE RIDES ON THEIR BROOMS WHEN THEY WEREN'T LOOKING, ALRIGHT?!" she shouted over the whispers. Dorea and Hermione just burst into gut-wrenching laughter at the looks o the twins' faces when she said that.

**~"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."**

**"George!"~**

"That was Fred, Mrs. Weasley." Dorea said sympathetically, while the Twins nodded. Molly's sobs grew stronger at the mention.

**~"Only joking, Mum."**

**The train began to move. Dorea saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Dorea watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Dorea felt a great leap of excitement. She didn't know what she was going to but it had to be better than what she was leaving behind. Far better.~**

"Sometimes it was, sometimes it was almost the same." Dorea muttered. Bill's nostrils flared angrily as he glared at the Hall.

"How often were you octrazised by them?" he growled. Dorea looked at her lap.

"Part of first year, most of second and fourth. So far, this entire year..." she mumbled. Bill growled audibly and hugged Dorea to his chest. Bastards were going to pay, _big time_.

**~The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest red headed boy came in.**

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Dorea. "Everywhere else is full."~**

"Correction: Every compartment of that car was full." Fred said. Ron shrugged.

"You know how difficult it is to move between cars on that train, I wasn't going to take that risk." he said. Everyone shrugged in agreement - it was difficult to change cars if you were new to the train.

**~Dorea shook her head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Dorea and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Dorea saw he still had a black mark on his nose.~**

Ron glared at Dorea for mentioning that cursed mark again. Dean looked thoughtful.

"Wasn't that oil?" he asked, thinking back to those first few weeks. "You said something about helping your dad change oil the on a car..." he mused. Ron and Arthur both nodded.

"Yes, he did. He must have gotten it on his nose then." Arthur said. Molly sniffled, the sobs beginning to subside. Her brown eyes were red and puffy from crying, pink tear tracks running down her face. Arthur pulled her into a one-armed hug, trying to comfort his wife.

**~"Hey, Ron." The twins were back. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."~**

Michaela and Ron both shuddered violently at the mention. Michaela's hand brushed along her hairline, touching the small scar where a tarantula had bitten her when her brother had shoved her into that tank.

**~"Right," mumbled Ron, clearly displeased by the information.**

**"Dorea," said George. "This our younger brother, Ron. Ron, this is Dorea Potter. See you two later, then."**

**"Bye," said Dorea and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them, and Ron turned to look at Dorea.**

**"Are you really Dorea Potter?" he blurted out.~**

"Smooth." Tracey Davis snorted.

**~Dorea nodded.**

**"Oh well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got you know "**

**He pointed at Dorea's forehead.**

**Dorea pulled back her bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.~**

"The second time that happened, and to another Weasley." Dorea sighed dramatically, leaning her head against Bill's chest. Bill could feel his heart pounding in his chest, remembering the comforting feeling of Dorea's head resting on his chest when he was asleep. He ran his fingers through her hair, wondering what it would be like to wake up to that eery mor- _WHAT WAS HE THINKING ABOUT?!_ Bill nearly shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Dorea was 10 years younger than him, it was wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!

_Aaah, but it just feels sooo right~~~._ sang an annoying voice from the back of his mind. Maybe he should get himself checked for possession at Gringotts, because that just wasn't normal...

**~"So that's where You-Know-Who ?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea, "but I can't remember it."**

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.~**

"Ron!" Molly shouted. Bill let out a wry grin.

"Actually, you only told Fred and George to not say anything. Never said anything about Ron, though." he said. Snape, at the Staff Table, shook his head.

"Gryffindors and their loopholes." he muttered. McGonagall grinned - not even Slytherins could find, or make, as many loopholes as Gryffindors could.

**~"Well I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Dorea for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.~**

Susan punched Ron's funny bone, making the boy jump and glare at her.

"What was that for?" he asked. Susan gave him a dead look.

"For being a sheep." she deadpanned. Ron looked confused as she turned away, attempting to figure out what Susan meant by him being a sheep.

**~"Are all your family wizards?" asked Dorea, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found her.~**

"Really?" Ron asked, amazed. Dorea gave him a look equally dead to Susan's.

"You came from a wizarding family that clearly cared about you." she deadpanned. Ron threw his hands up into the air.

"What is with girls and _deadpanning_ today?!" he shouted to the heavens, making the Hall laugh at they thought to be a comedic response.

**~"Err - Yeah, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."~**

"He's bitter and he hates us." Molly said with a melancholy voice. Dan sent her a dark look.

"Did your family care for him as a child, or did they shove him to the side in preference for the children that could perform magic?" he asked. Molly, Fabian, and Gideon all winced at the tone of his voice - clearly the treatment of Squibs was a sensitive subject to him.

**~"So you must know loads of magic already." The Weasley's were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.~**

Mafloy sneered. He would never mean the Weasleys!

**~"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible well, not all of them.~**

"Just the ones in Privet Drive, I mean, honestly, they believed Vernon's bull shit story of how you were a deviant child that needs to be punished harshly in order to learn a lesson!" Michaela growled, glaring at the Dursleys. There was one thing that was noted commonly about High Elves and half-High Elves, they were extremely protective of those that they saw as family. And Vernon had just crossed a half-High Elf by threatening someone she was beginning to see as a sister again.

**~My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron. For some strange reason, he was looking gloomy.~**

The elder Weasleys, especially Molly, looked confused at this mention. Ron shrunk in his seat, while Dorea sent him an apologetic look.

"It's worth noting, Ron, that I was against reading these books." she said. "Those people distracted me by bringing back mum and dad."

**~I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.~**

"Not true!" Fred said indignantly.

"You saved Hogwarts with Dorea!"

"Discovered the Chamber!"

"Helped save Ginny!"

"Stood by Dorea's side during her third year!"

"Second task!"

"Helped with her third task!"

"Stood up for her against everyone last week, and got sent to the Hospital Wing for it!"

"You've done _tons_ of stuff the rest of us could never do!"

Ron's face burned brighter and brighter reds as the Twins kept listing off things that he had done, or things that had happened to him, over his years at Hogwarts.

Bill and Charlie, o the other hand, looked upset. They had never realized that they had set the bar so high for their younger siblings...

**~You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."~**

"You really should've bought Ron new robes instead of Percy new ones, mum." Charlie muttered, thinking about how Bill was shorter at 11 than Ron was.

**~Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.~**

Sirius, Remus, and the Trio's gazes darkened as they glared at the book for mentioning that traitor. Lily and James stared at the book in shock - that sounded like Peter! Neville, on the other hand, focused on the Weasleys not being able to afford another owl.

"But shouldn't your family have - wait, right, Snape had the Potter Grimoire." Neville stated, eyes wide. Arthur looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. James looked at him.

"The Longbottoms, Weasleys, Lovegoods, and Bones have been Allied to the Potters for centuries now. Each family, as per regulation for Alliances, may receive 1000 Galleons a month from the wealthier families if they are unable to afford necessary objects to live semi-comfortably. The family with the Head Alliance, in this case our family, has to acknowledge the Alliance in order for this to work, though. So, by Snape keeping the Potter Grimoire to himself, not only has he been stealing Family Magicks, he's also been interfering in Alliances." James glared at Snape. "I wouldn't be surprised if Dorea accidentally confirmed a Blood Feud because of her lack of knowledge."

Malfoy perked up at that tidbit of information. The reason that Potter had confirmed their Blood Feud... Was because of his godfather? It was _his_ fault?

**~Dorea didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, she'd never had any money in her life until a month ago, and she told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up considerably.~**

"Ron!" Molly screeched, making everyone within earshot wince at the noise. Dorea decided to cover for her friend.

"I think that he had cheered up about the fact that even though I was famous, I understood what he was talking about when it came to having few possessions." she explained. That shut Molly up.

**~" And until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort -" Ron gasped.~**

"IT'S NOT EVEN HIS REAL NAME, IT'S AN ALIAS!" Dorea shouted as she noticed all the flinches.

**~"What?" said Dorea, confused once again.**

**"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people "**

**"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Dorea, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn I bet," she added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying her a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."~**

"Far from it, Lady Potter. You're third in the year." McGonagall informed, making several Ravenclaw fifth ears glare at her. Hermione was top, everyone knew that, and Morag was second. Of the top three, only one was a Ravenclaw. That fact made them a little angry, seeing as how it was traditionally at least 2 Ravenclaws at the top three of the year.

**~"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."~**

"Look at Granger, she's a perfect example." Theo said, making Hermione blush at the praise and lack of biting insult.

**~While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

**Dorea, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to her feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Dorea went out into the corridor. Shee had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that she had pockets rattling with gold and silver she was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have Mars Bars.~**

While Michaela and Remus looked like they were about to drool, Dorea told the confused purebloods and wizarding raised halfbloods that Mars Bars were muggle chocolate bars with caramel and soft nougat in the middle.

**~What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Dorea had never seen in her life.~**

"Again, muggle sweets would be a good idea." Dorea muttered, crossing her arms. Bill squeezed her slightly, resting his chin on the top of Dorea's head. Because of this, he missed the faint blush that crossed Dorea's cheeks.

**~Not wanting to miss anything, she got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.~**

Whistles sounded throughout the Hall. Molly looked disaprovingly at Dorea.

"I was famished("More like starving," Bill grumbled. "You hadn't eaten the day before, remember?"), and I wanted to try some of everything. Don't worry, I didn't eat everything I bought with that money." she assured, calming Molly down, but riling Lily up.

"Honestly, I could eat all that in one sitting! We need to get you up to my eating habits!" Lily said, making James shudder.

"I swear, she could probably eat 5 Galleons worth of sweets in one hour and _still_ be hungry." he hissed, Sirius and Remus nodding in agreement Dorea smiled at the information - so she shared her mother's sweet tooth, did she?

**~Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**"Hungry, are you?"**

**"Starving," said Dorea, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. It was very good, sweet but with a touch of spice.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside.**

**He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef "~**

"Mum, that's my favourite. Ron likes roast beef." Bill said. Molly blushed and looked back down at her hands. This was absolutely horrible, she could finally see why Ron felt like that towards his older brothers...

**~"Swap you for one of these," said Dorea, holding up a pasty. "Go on "**

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "You know, with five of us."**

**"Go on, have a pasty," said Dorea, who had never really had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Dorea's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).~**

"You became friends in such a normal manner." Katie said, shaking her head. "When does the legendary stuff come in?" Dorea smiled sweetly at the Chaser.

"Halloween." she, Ron, and Hermione chorused.

**~"What are these?" Dorea asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.**

**"They're not _really_ frogs, are they?"~**

Hermione snorted, only for Dorea to deadpan "_Cockroach Clusters._"

That stopped any and all snickering in the Hall.

**~She was starting to feel that nothing would surprise her.~**

The Trio let out loud laughs - Dorea could never say that, it would never be true!

**~"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

**"What?"**

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."~**

Remus grinned.

"I've got about 10 Ptolemy and 5 Agrippa." Ron's jaw dropped.

"You've got all the Ptolemy and all the Agrippa?" he asked, starstruck. Remus nodded, and Lily giggled.

"Remy, with the amount of Chocolate Frogs James used to buy you, you could have your own Chocolate Frog Card - the world's greatest Chocolate Frog Card Collector."

**~Dorea slowly unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache.**

**Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.~**

The Hall burst into applauds, much to Umbridge and Fudge's displeasure. These books were supposed to reveal Potter's lies, not encourage people to believe them!

**~"So this is Dumbledore!" said Dorea in awe.**

**"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa thanks "**

**Dorea turned over her card and read:**

_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**_

**_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel._~**

"All that time, and it was right there." the Trio groaned, much to the confusion of everyone else. Dorea leaned her head back on Bill's shoulder.

"All those hours-" she started.

"-All those books-" Ron continued.

"-All for _nothing_." Hermione mourned. She could have spent that time studying!

**~_Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._**

**Dorea turned the card back over and saw, to her astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"**

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Dorea. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."~**

"Do they _really_?" Arthur asked, bouncing up and down in his seat. Lily, Sirius, Dorea, and Hermione all nodded. Charlie looked oddly at Sirius.

"How do you know?" he asked. Sirius grinned.

"I have muggle pictures of muggle girls in bikinis stuck on my wall from when I was a teenager." he explained, only to get hit over the head by Lily. "I SAID FROM WHEN I SAW A TEENAGER! THEY PISSED MUM OFF!" he shouted, making the hits stop. Lily could understand that reasoning, he did it not only to look at them, but to also piss off his mother. Bill looked confused.

"What's a bikini?" he asked. Dorea blushed.

"Ah, my bathing suit is a bikini." she said, remembering how Bill taught her how to swim in the Weasley Pond last year. Bill nodded, understanding what Sirius was talking about. He then blushed a little, remembering how little Dorea's bikini had covered last year... _And it probably covers even less now..._ whispered a very perverted part of his mind. Bill swatted the thoughts back - Dorea was sitting on his lap, he couldn't start thinking about those sorts of things right now.

**~"What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "_Weird_!"**

**Dorea stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Dorea couldn't keep her eyes off them. Soon she had not only Dumbledore and Morganna, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin.~**

"Pretty impressive, only 50 of Merlin and Morganna were made in total." Reus commented. Dorea nodded.

"I have 5 of each of them now." she said, and grinned. "Trade you a new Dorea Potter First Year card for a Agrippa and Ptolemy card? Only 15 Dorea Potter Frist Year cards were made." she offered. Remus looked contemplative.

"Deal." he said. The two shook hands on it as Lily continued reading.

**~She finally tore her eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.**

**"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Dorea. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."~**

"I did - it was _really_ nasty." George said, shivering at the memory. Hermione looked at him curiously.

"How would you know what boogers taste like?" she asked. George glared at Fred.

"Only because he shoved a fist full into my mouth when we were little!" he claimed, starting a wrestling match between the two. Lily kept reading, ignoring the fighting going on at her feet.

**~Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts."~**

Sirius looked considerate.

"Not too good, but not the worst." he stated, shuddering. "I swear I once ate a dung flavoured one - it tasted like, well, shit!" he shouted, only to get whacked by Lily.

"_LANGUAGE_!"

**~They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Dorea got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.~**

"Not bad at all." a Gryffindor seventh year said. He looked up musingly. "I wonder what it would taste like to try a handful of those..." Dorea made a face.

"Pretty nasty, trust me." the Hall laughed hysterically at that mention, while Dorea started waving her hands around wildly. "It was a dare at the end of Third Year!"

**~The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Dorea had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.~**

"Thanks." Neville grumbled. Dorea hid slightly against Bill.

**~"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

**"He'll turn up," said Dorea.~**

"He always does." Luna said brightly. Neville smiled over at her - she may be odd, but she was a great friend.

**~"Yes," said the boy miserably.~**

"I was miserable at the _idea_ that he would show up!" Neville wailed, an indignant croak hear from below the Slytherin table. Parkinson took one look and jumped onto the table, shrieking like a madwoman. Blaise peered under the table as well, and started laughing.

"Longbottom, your toad is over here!" he shouted, making the Gryffindors start laughing as well. Neville, bright red in the face, ran over, grabbed Trevor, and ran back, muttering something about damned escape artists.

**~"Well, if you see him " He left.**

**"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.~**

"Good thing you didn't, Ron." Hermione growled. George jumped at the sound, it was so strange hearing that from Hermione. Viktor looked at his British friend curiously.

"And vhy is that?" he asked. Dorea, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Remus all chorused the answer.

"End of Third Year."

**~"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look "~**

Fred and George started snickering - Ron actually _believed_ that fake spell?

**~He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway -"~**

"You really should've gotten Ron a new wand instead of getting Percy a new owl, mum." Charlie scolded, his eyes narrowed. "First off, that wand didn't choose him, so it won't work as well for him. Second off, you knew my old wand was chipped all around, it was dangerous to use, and that's why I got a new one. Third off, it was just showing favouritism towards Percy."

Molly started to cry again, realizing just how bad Ron's classes might have gone for him because of that wand.

**~He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toad less boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.~**

Hermione reached over and whacked Dorea over the head with her Ancient Runes book, much to Ron's amusement.

"She didn't hit me! SHE DIDN'T HIT- Ooow, '_Mione_!"

**~"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.~**

"I was! Hermione just barged in and practically demanded that I show her some magic when I wasn't even sure the spell("Poem." Dorea snickered.) would work or not!" Ron insisted, while Hermione, Neville, Dorea, Fred, and George just started snickering even harder.

**~"Er - all right." He cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."~**

Everyone started laughing hysterically, especially Fred and George. Ron, though blushing, chuckled in agreement - now that he was reading it instead of living it, it did seem pretty funny. Molly, on the other hand, was appalled by the Twins' actions. That could have damaged Ron's self esteem!

**~He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

**"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"~**

Lily gasped for breath here, her face red. Jame took the opportunity to raed the next line, a grin on his face.

**~She said all this very fast.~**

"Tell me about it." Lily said, finally having caught her breath. She continued reading around the snickers and Hermione's red face.

**~Dorea looked over at Ron, and was relieved by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.~**

"Uh, even _we_ don't go that far." Anthony from Ravenclaw muttered, Padma nodding in agreement with him.

**~"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

**"Dorea Potter." said Dorea. She nearly flinched by the way that Hermione's face lit up - she already hated her fame.~**

Snape shook his head. _As if a Potter could ever hate fame..._

**~"Are you _really_?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."~**

"Make a note to sue the authors and publishing companies for those books - I've read them, and they're a load of rubbish. One of them even went so far as to claim that mum tried to run away and leave me behind!" Dorea fumed, Hermione furiously writing that down. She then 'Oh'ed, and pulled out a long roll of parchment and handed it to Bill.

"All the rules we broke - First Year edition." she said. Jaws dropped as Bill opened the parchment only for it to roll out to about 10 feet long. "Should we make one for each book?" she asked. Bill looked at her.

"Yeah, you probably should, it wou- Why is it that the only rule you three didn't break in your first year is the rule saying students aren't allowed in the kitchens?" he asked, making all mischief makers in the Hall glomp one of the three members of the Trio in happiness.

"WE'RE SO _PROUD_ OF YOU THREE!" they all shouted. Dorea looked at the list and shook her head. 5,792 Rules were broken that year - even more broken in later years when more rules were added.

**~"Am I _really_?" said Dorea, feeling very dazed.**

**"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."**

**And she left, taking the toad less boy with her.**

**"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.~**

Ron was hit with Hermione's books and punched by Susan

"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!"

**~He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."~**

"Duh, and I gave it to you." George said, a bit of disappointment dancing in his eyes. Dorea rolled her eyes - George was pretending to be Fred again.

"No, Fred gave it to him, George." she said. George grinned and snatched Dorea from Bill, setting her down in between himself and Fred. She threw her hands up in the air, clearly pissed off.

"REALLY?!" she shouted, making many laugh. Bill, however, glowered slightly at his younger brothers, something Charlie and Michaela(who was now siting next to him instead of on his lap) noticed.

**~What house are your brothers in?" asked Dorea.**

**"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."~**

"We would love you all the same." Arthur insisted. Dorea grinned.

"Yeah, you wuld, but Rn wouldn't survive one night in Slytherin - he's a "Blood Traitor"," here, Dorea made air quotes. "Remember?"

**~"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

**"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Dorea, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.~**

"So sweet." Lily cooed, holding her arms out to her daughter. Dorea happily bounded over to Lily and all but pounced into her arms, James wrapping his arms around both his girls. Dorea rested her head on her mother's shoulder as Lily continued reading. Colin Creevey was taking photos of the Potter family like this - the moment was too cute to _not_ document!

**~"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Dorea was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

**"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons,~**

"That is _so cool_! Tell me about it!" Michaela said energetically, finding any information on dragons interesting. Charlie grinned and started explaining everything about his job to Michaela. Lily ignored these two and continued on reading.

**~and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts,"~**

"I'm a Curse Breaker, Ron." Bill huffed. Dorea looked at him curiously.

"What does a Curse Breaker do, anyway?" she asked. Bill smiled and sat next to Lily, explaining his career to Dorea while her mother read on.

James and Sirius, however, exchanged looks. The two of them already knew that Bill and Dorea were Soulmates, but could Charlie and Michaela be Soulmates as well?

**~said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles someone tried to rob a high security vault."~**

"_What_?" a muggleborn first year gasped. Bill nodded.

"Yeah, the goblins are _still_ pissed off that they didn't catch the guy." he said, and Dorea glanced at her feet.

"They don't have to worry about him, he's long dead." she muttered, barely loud enough for Lily, James, and Bill to hear. They stared at her in shock for a moment, but decided against asking her about it. Clearly it was a sensitive issue for her.

**~Dorea stared in shock. "Really? What happened to them?"**

**"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."~**

"He was." Hermione said gravely. Umbridge fumed.

"He. Is. _Dead_!" she spat. Dorea glared at him.

"Was a body found? Do you have evidence that he is dead?" she asked. Fudge slowly shook his head otherwise. "In those cases it's 'Alive until Proven Otherwise'."

**~Dorea turned this news over in his mind. She was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. She supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.~**

"Just as it should be." Dumbledore said, nodding his head.

**~"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

**"Er I don't know any." Dorea confessed, scratching her cheek.**

**"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you just wait, it's the best game in the world -" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just beginning to take Dorea through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toad less boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.~**

All eyes turned to Malfoy at that comment.

**~He was looking at Dorea with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

**"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Dorea Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea. She was busy looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.~**

"They are!" Theo and Blaise shouted, making several Ravenclaws snicker at the faces of the rest of the Hall.

**~"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."~**

Dorea fixed and imaginary tie. "That name's Bond, James Bond. Shaken, not stirred." she said, making everyone who understood the reference start laughing as Dorea grinned widely.

**~Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."~**

"Right, _that's_ why the Malfoys and Potters have a Blood Feud - because the Malfoys and Weasleys do after the Malfoys stole most of the Weasley wealth a couple hundred years back." James said, the realization just dawning on him now. Dorea raised an eyebrow - she had a Blood Feud with Malfoy?

"Who else do I have a Blood Feud against?" she mumbled. James' eyes narrowed in concentration.

"The Smiths, for the Lord of the time nearly raping the Potter Heiress," Hufflepuff eyes turned to Zacharias Smith. "The Parkinsons, for asssassinating a Lady Longbottom," Eyes turned now to Parkinson. "The LeStranges, for actually succeeding in raping a Bones," Neville's eyes narrowed and he hissed at the mention of LeStrange. "And now Snape, for stealing Family Magicks." he said. Dorea nodded, then her eyes widened.

"Since I have a Blood Feud with Snape, does that mean I get a Potions tutor?" she asked. Lily's eyes snapped up and onto Snape's face, her lips curled back into a snarl.

"_I'll_ tutor you, Bambi." she said, patting Dorea's head. Her eyes never left Snape's pale face until James poked her to continue reading. Dorea checked her watch. It was already 10 in the morning...

**~He turned back to Dorea. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Dorea's, but Dorea didn't take it.~**

Sirius winced.

"He was just attempting to consol the Blood Feud between Malfoys and Potters, but by the looks of it you unknowingly just confirmed that the Feud should continue." he explained to the confused expressions he was faced with.

Malfoy glared at the table. He really didn't blame her for doing that now, since he saw what he looked like from her opinion... _But he was just properly acting upon a confirmed Blood Feud!_

**~"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," she said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.~**

Several Slytherins hexed Malfoy for that comment, much to the shock of the Hall. Daphne glared at the people staring.

"What? We've been looking for a reason to curse him for _years_ now." she explained. Several Gryffindors grinned - they had based their opinions of Slytherins off of Malfoy, and now that they knew he wasn't welcome in the House, maybe their opinions could change, perhaps Slytherins weren't all too bad, afterall...

**~They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasley's and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."~**

"I'd rather be with them and have fun with my life than hang around you and be a total bitch like Parkinson there." Dorea retorted, making several Gryffindors 'Oooh' at the insult.

**~Both Dorea and Ron stood up.**

**"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

**"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

**"Unless you get out now," said Dorea, much more bravely than she felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than her or Ron.~**

"We would never beat a girl, that's just wrong." Goyle said, his face confused. Had Malfoy really made it seem like they would beat up Dorea as well?

**~"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.~**

At the mention, Goyle rubbed the scar on his right knuckles. That had really hurt, but by the way Weasley reacted to the mention of that rat, something bad happened...

**~Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle.**

**Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.~**

"Hope it hurt him." Remus growled, his eyes flashing amber once again. Petigrew would pay for the crimes he had committed.

**~Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.~**

"He had _better_ have been injured." Luna hissed, Ginny jumping and staring at her friend in shock at the noise. It was just so... So... Not Luna-like.

**~"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Dorea. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep."**

**And so he had. "You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Dorea explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched.~**

Theo looked at the table in shame. He didn't want to be anything like his father - corrupt, evil, twisted, those were just the first things that came to mind when he thought about the man that sired him.

**~My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."~**

_Because he doesn't,_ Dorea thought, fingering the scar running along her right forearm, thinking back to the Riddle Cemetery. _He never did, and because of those people, I'm cursed by that..._

**~He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

**"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

**"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"~**

"Uh, you and Dorea were gonna change at the same time?" Neville asked, eyebrows raised. Ron and Dorea both started spluttering.

"W-What? _NO_! Ron waited outside to make sure no one could walk in on my when I was changing, and I did the same for him!" Dorea shouted, her face bright red at the thought. There was only - _NO NO NO! BAD THOUGHT! BAD THOUGHT! BAD MIND! BAD!_

**~"All right I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"~**

"Would the damn book stop mentioning that damn oil?" Ron grumbled, his face still red from Neville's implications.

**~Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.~**

Molly winced, she really should've gotten Ron new robes instead...

**~A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Dorea's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, she saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Dorea heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Dorea?"~**

"Good, Hagrid's there." Arthur sighed. Dorea probably wouldn't feel as nervous now.

**~Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

**"C'mon, follow me any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Dorea thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "Jus' round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"~**

Hagrid grinned.

"I always love the reaction o' the firs' years when they see Hogwarts fer the firs' time." he said, a dreamy look in his eyes as he remembered the first time he had layed eyes on the castle.

**~The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.~**

"So descriptive..." Astoria all but drooled, everyone off in their dreamland, thinking about the first time they had seen Hogwarts.

**~No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Dorea and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

**"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"~**

No one jumped as Lily shouted that.

**~And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

**"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff;~**

Lily blushed while James laughed.

"I remember that, you didn't because you thought it wasn't necessary, and you got dragged into the lake because of that!" James laughed, Sirius and Remus joinging in. Dorea giggled at her mother, while Lily glared at them all and began reading even louder than ever in order to be heard over them

**~they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.~**

"You _really_ should become a writer." Hermione all but drooled. Dorea shook her head.

"Nah, being a Curse Breaker sounds way more interesting." she grinned, looking at Bill, who was beaming at her and pulled her into a giant bear hug, Lily getting caught in the middle of it.

**~They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.~**

Lily put a marker on the page and closed the bok, glaring up at Snape.

"If you don't mind me, I need to have a word with Snape about the Potions curriculum." she said, tsanding up and walking out of the Hall. Snape swallowed slightly, but followed all the same. When he was out of the Hall and the doors closed soundly behind him, James burst out laughing, making incoherible sounds that Dorea managed to roughly translate into "Snivellus is dead - Lilypad's gonna kill him."

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 17,083**

**Holy crap - and I really didn't like this chapter all that much, actually. It's long though, but it's not my best writing at all.**

**Review Count: 83**

**I LOVE YOU GUYS! *glomps reviewers* YOU ALL ROCK!**

**Review Goal for chapter 7: 90**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**REVIEW DOWN THERE! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	8. Book 1: Chapter 7

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**I chose George and Hermione because George would be best for her. He can make her loosen up about academics, while Hermione can make him take his lessons more seriously and help with some prank item ideas, for example, a gum that mimic's someone's voice. Or jawbreakers that make someone look like they took an animal Polyjuice Potion. As for Neville and an OC(Sierra), well, come on! Couldn't you just imagine them together? Besides, I don't really like the NevillexHannah Abbott pairing in canno. Neville/Luna is cute, but not exactly what I'm aiming for. Maybe Luna will end up with a Slytherin... But this story isn't all about romance! I'll just wait until the epilogue to worry about who ends up with who!**

**I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR ANY 'Harry'S, 'he'S, 'him'S, OR 'his' THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED! I EDITED AS BEST AS I COULD AT THE MOMENT! (the smaller words on the editing screen make it hard to correct)**

**Note: I am no longer allowed to refer to Kingsley Shacklebolt as the 'big-bad-sex-wizard' after this chapter. *sad face***

**Note 2: In canon, there are 5 Gryffindor Girls in Harry's year - Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, Fay Dunbar, and Fay Dunbar's best friend, an unnamed girl. From here on out, this girl will be named Dianna Vane, Romeo Vane's older sister(I needed to change Romilda Vane's gender for the sake of the sixth book.)**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: _Weeell_, Malfoy seemed genuinely interested in Dorea before he even knew who she was, and seemed to want to preach his opinions onto her, so yeah, he tried to end the Blood Feud. My idea of it is that the Head of House, or in this case, the orphaned Heiress, has to acknowledge someone their family has a Blood Feud with either as an enemy or as a friend to either continue or destroy the Blood Feud. And I never really understood how the barrier worked in the books, so I decided to come up with it on my own. As such, since it recognizes magic levels rather than working on time, it shouldn't have closed even if Dorea and Ron were an hour late. I loved writing that part, I couldn't stop grinning as I wrote it. Yes, Molly will be able to tell the twins apart, but not until the fourth book. I never liked that part either, which is why I made Molly feel so horrible about the fact. And you're right - I don't really like Molly because of how controlling she is. I mean, she lets Ginny insult Bill's fiancee in front of her without question! What kind of mother does that? As for the bar Bill and Charlie set, the twins and Ron will eventually convince them that it was never their fault. Again, I don't really like Molly because of that fact too - also the fact that she babied Ginny up until the end of the books, too. No, Dorea still uses Gillyweed, but she knew how to swim ahead of time as well. So she wasn't nearly as hopeless when it came to the task as Harry was in canon. I mean, who can hold their breath for an _hour_? It would kill any human! So she still uses Gillyweed, but she also gets to the hostages sooner. And writing Lily ripping Snivellus to pieces is gonna be fun - I'm thinking about having her break his nose before storming back into the Hall. There might be more though, we'll see where my typing takes me... *winces* I thought I caught all of them and changed them... I am so sorry for that! I promise I'll pay closer attention this time!**

**917brat: I'm still considering how they're first kiss is gonna work out, I'm divided between two ideas... Though the second one that I came up with works much better, and would be guaranteed to piss Fleur off. Heh heh... Writing that part of this chapter was really fun, and you can thank AddaBlack94 for helping me with the idea. Dorea's first Potions class is gonna piss off a ton of people, especially once Lily starts tutoring Dorea and finds out that Snape didn't even bother to cover how to prepare ingredients and why they needed to be prepared the way they are. Thank you for saying my story is siriusly(pun intended) brilliant!**

**harryfan160889: Yeah, I know... *rubs back of head sheepishly* I honestly thought that I had caught them all... From now on I edit 3 times - first for spelling and grammar errors, second for any errors that I missed, third for actually reading it and catching any missed Harry's. And I have no problem with someone using the same points that I use, because it's pretty obvious that she favours her children that end up prefects... Like in the fifth book, she was more than willing to buy Ron a new, though not the best, broom because he was a prefect. And thank you!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Lily was waiting in an unused classroom for Snape to walk in, but she was fuming from her perch on one of the tables. Snape had always been the one who preached the importance of cauldron care, and had purposely set his students up for failure. Snape had never been one for teaching, he didn't have the patience for it, but if she found out that Snape had purposely been trying to make some of his students fail so that he wouldn't have to teach them, he. Would. _Pay_. Her eyes narrowed as the door opened and Snape walked in, robes billowing out behind him as he walked. She stopped leaning on the table and walked over to her ex-friend, who was flinching under her gaze.

Snape couldn't help but feel a bit ominous as he looked into Lily's killing green, pissed off eyes. The last time he had looked into those eyes was when he found her dead body, and before that was when she cut off their friendship during their fifth year. That day was still the one filled with his greatest regrets, losing Lily's light had sent him spiralling off into the darkness. He subconsciously gulped as Lily put up a Silencing Ward and started screaming and ranting at him. She seemed to go on for what felt like hours, ranting on about how disappointed she was in him, how he knew better than to tell his students to get the cauldron that he knew was the worst, to even how he didn't appear to have taken a good shower since their third year. She ended her rant by punching him in the stomach, something Snape was unprepared for. Lily never liked violence, but would fight back with a gusto if a member of her family was injured. In that sense, she could be quite the sadist. Snape rubbed his now sore stomach as he looked at the now seething Lily.

"I'm only going to give you one warning, _Snivellus_," Snape winced at the nickname. "If you have hated my daughter because of the past James, you, and I all have together, I will make you wish you were _never_ born." she growled, and stepped past Snape to go back to the Hall. Before Snape could even think, for if he was he would never do this, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lily's back.

_Imperio,_ he nonverbally cast, willing for Lily to forgive him for everything he had done. Clearly it had the exact opposite effect, because Lily whirled around, her eyes blazing with a deathly green fire. She walked up to Snape once again, and punched him directly on his long, hooked nose. She felt a sick satisfaction as she heard the sickening crunch that came with breaking a nose, and when he was clinging the overly large part in question, Lily grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the crotch. One hand on his genitals, one hand on his nose, Snape sunk to the ground in pain. Lily crouched down in front of him, her blood-red bangs covering her eyes.

"Try that again, and I won't be the only one to kill you." she hissed, stood up, turned on her heel, and walked out, leaving Snape there to think about what he had just done.

**~O~O~O~**

The doors to the Great Hall slammed open violently, a furious Lily Potter storming her way over to her husband and daughter. James took one look at his wife's face before his eyes darkened.

"What did that bastard do?" he asked, his voice a cold, deathly whisper. Lily glared at everyone who was clearly trying to listen in before casting a _Muffliato_.

"He effing tried the _Imperius_ on me!" she shouted, and canceled the spell before James could rant. She then turned to Dumbledore. "Professor, Snivellus Snape is in the extra Potions classroom. Poppy might want to see him later." she announced, making the students in the Hall whisper. _What had Snape done that pissed off Lily Potter enough for him to need medical help?_ Dorea, seething at what Snape had just tried on her mother, leaned over to James while Poppy left the Hall to check up on the resident Potions Master.

"What was that spell mum just used?" she asked. James patted her head as Lily sat down, her arms wrapped around Dorea protectively.

"It's called _Muffliato_, it's a form of Silencing Ward that prevents anyone that isn't intended to hear the conversation from hearing it. Instead they hear a bunch of murmurs and static, no matter how loud the people holding the conversation are talking." James explained. Dorea nodded, and made a mental note to use that spell for DA meetings from now on. Umbridge, who had somehow gotten the book, handed it to Kingsley to read. Fred and George exchanged identical looks.

"The big-bad-sex-wizard is gonna read Dorea-kin's sorting?" they asked, causing everyone, especially Dorea and Tonks, to fall over in hysterical laughter. The best part of this, however, was that they said it with the straightest faces possible.

Once the laughter faded and the twins were properly whacked over the head by Dorea for making her choke on spit, Kingsley opened the book and went to the seventh chapter. He cleared his throat once before he began to read.

**~CHAPTER SEVEN - THE SORTING HAT~** he read. Dorea paled considerably and groaned - everyone would find out that she was almost sorted into Slytherin now, and they would all hate her like they have the past few years... _She could never catch a break, now could she?_

**~The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Dorea's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.~**

"And yet you just insist on doing so." McGonagall sighed. Dorea smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I have to carry on the Marauder Legacy after Fred and George graduate, and then I need to select the next group of pranksters as well, so I do need the practice..." she blanched at the look on McGonagall's face. "Oh, _aaand _the school would probably be shut down if I didn't." she added quickly, making McGonagall's face turn from the purple it had been turning to back to a regular colour.

**~"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid, nodding at the woman.**

**"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she replied, and Hagrid walked past her to help her open the giant doors.**

**They pulled the doors wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursley's house in it and still have room for a crowd of people to walk through it.~**

Michaela nodded.

"Big enough for their entire property, actually." she commented, Sierra nodding in agreement.

**~The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.~**

"You're descriptions are _magnificent_, Dorea." Tonks breathed, her hair turning a beautiful rosy pink as she remembered her first time walking into that hall.

**~They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Dorea could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously at the other students in the room.~**

"That only makes everyone more nervous, and kinda claustrophobic." Cat said, seeing the look on Sierra's face at the thought of being in a crowded room like that.

**~"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.~**

"Free time?" Ron whimpered, remembering when he once knew of the term. Now, with Quidditch practice, studying for OWLs, classes, DA, and detentions, he was lucky if he got a bathroom break. That's not even mentioning these readings.

**~"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour.~**

"It's an honour, but it just makes everyone fight even more over what happens. If someone loses a ton of points for their House, they're ostracized no matter what the reason for losing those points was. If things are bad enough, other Houses could go along with the octrazision, making the ones who lost the House Points feel awful and want nothing more than to go home for summer vacation and hope everyone would forget about the incident in September." Hermione said, eyes watering as she remembered that treatment towards the end of their first year. Neville whimpered in agreement, and the professors looked confused. _When had **this** happened?_

**~I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.**

**"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear,~**

"How did that happen?" Lily asked Neville, having finally calmed down after the Snape incident. Neville flushed.

"I was trying to fasten it, but I couldn't see the clips, so I moved it onto my shoulder to do it, but the clips sorta got stuck to my sweater..." he muttered, Dorea nodding. That actually made sense.

**~and on Ron's still smudged nose.~**

Ron groaned as the cursed smudge once again made its appearance.

**~Dorea nervously attempted to flatten her hair.~**

"Just let it grow out, then pull it into a braid." Michaela said, fingering her curly locks. "That's what I do when my hair gets frizzy in the summers." _**(A/N: That is actually what I do)**_

**~"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

**She left the chamber. Dorea swallowed and looked at Ron.**

**"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked him. Ron shrugged.**

**"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."~**

Molly looked like she wanted to say something to her son, hopefully the right son this time, but judging by the proud looks on the twins' faces, they had been hoping that Ron would pick up on the joke. Molly's eyes widened in consideration - had they told that to Ron, hoping that it would unnerve him?

**~Dorea's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would he have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.~**

"That really didn't help any of us, it just made everyone more nervous." Susan said, making Hermione blush. Parkinson looked like she wanted to say something, but one look from Daphne made her reconsider the idea if she wanted to wake up tomorrow morning.

**~Dorea tried very hard not to listen to her. She'd never been more nervous, never, not even when she'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that she'd somehow turned her kindergarten teacher's wig blue.~**

James grinned and looked at his daughter.

"Another bought of accidental magic you had was you turned Peter's hair green and silver when he tried to hold you one day." he said, pulling his daughter into a hug. Sirius laughed at the memory, as did Remus and Bill.

"Yeah, wasn't he mourning for the rest of the day after that?" Remus wheezed out, a grin on his face. Lily nodded, and rested her head on James' shoulder. _This is what Dorea's life should have been like. Filled with a loving family, learning about her family heritage, and filled to the brim with laughter, drama, and pranks._

**~She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.~**

Cedric snorted.

"Over dramatic much?" he asked Dorea, whose face was still very pale. His eyes narrowed in concern for the girl - was there something about the sorting that she'd rather not have read? Then again, most people would panic if what the Sorting Hat said to them during their sorting was being read aloud for everyone to hear.

**~Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed.~**

Everyone began to lean forward - did the ghosts say the same thing every year? Or was it honestly spontaneous?

**~"What the -?"**

**She gasped. So did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"~**

"So they _do_ say the same thing every year." a Ravenclaw sighed. "I was hoping it was different each year."

"It took the Friar many years to just simply remember what he was supposed to do once Peeves joined the school, we would rather not put him through having to learn something different each year." the Gray Lady said, making several people jump as she floated through the Ravenclaw table. The House Ghosts had decided to join in on the readings, and each of them had situated themselves near the circle. Even Moaning Myrtle had come to read with everyone. Dorea, however, smiled at all of them.

"Lady Helena, Friar John, Baron William, Sir Nicholas, Myrtle." she greeted with a nod, to which the ghosts responded in kind.

"Lady Dorea." they greeted back. Cat looked at the Fat Friar curiously.

"Friar John, as in the Friar from_ Robin Hood_?" she asked. The Friar smiled and straightened a bit.

"Lord Lockley was a mage, while the Villagers were average to semi-powerful wizards." he said with a hint of pride. His eyes then fell upon Dorea. "If I am correct, his great granddaughter married the Heir Potter of her time." Dorea sighed at the idea of being related to someone else who was famous,and looked at her hands. _They were ghostly pale as well..._

**~"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?**

**He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.~**

"Nick." Dorea smiled at the friendly Gryffindor Ghost.

**~Nobody answered.**

**"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"~**

"We also do this so they aren't surprised when they see us at the ceremony." the Bloody Baron, now named Baron William, stated. Dorea smiled at the Baron - he had been a real comfort to her during her first year at Hogwarts.

**~A few people nodded mutely.**

**"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."**

**"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Dorea got into line behind a boy with sandy hair,~**

Seamus cheered, only to get hit with a spoon chucked at him by Alicia Spinnet.

**~with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Dorea could have never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.~**

Everyone sighed, remembering their sorting. The anxiety the butterflies in their stomach, the feeling they got when their House cheered for them when they were sorted into it...

**~Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Dorea looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard Hermione whisper to someone near her, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History._"~**

"We get it, you love that book with all your heart." Neville laughed, having been the one she had whispered it to. Hermione jokingly threw a notebook at him, with surprisingly good accuracy.

**~It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.~**

"So poetic..." Bill whispered, a dreamy look in his eye as he looked up at the enchanted ceiling. _Dorea really does have a way with words..._

**~Dorea quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.~**

At this moment, Peeves burst into the Hall with the Hat on his head, cackling and giggling as he bounded along. When he came to the Potters, he bowed low at the waist to both James and Dorea, then to Sirius and Remus, the Prewitt twins, the Weasley twins, and floated over to the staff table to drop the Sorting Hat on Kingsley's head. He floated back over to the Potters, resting a good 5 feet above their heads.

Petunia, Vernon, and Marge all looked at the Hat, appalled by what they saw. Dorea's description of it was perfect - had anyone bothered to even _take care of it_ over the years? Why hadn't they _replaced_ it yet?

**~Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it,~**

"Muggle magic trick, it's really an optical illusion." Dante explained for those who didn't know.

**~Dorea thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:~**

"Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!" the Hall chanted. The Sorting Hat chuckled before it opened its - er - brim/mouth and began to sing once again.

_**~Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**_

_**But don't judge on what you see,**_

_**I'll eat myself if you can find**_

_**A smarter hat than me.**_

_**You can keep your bowlers black,**_

_**Your top hats sleek and tall,**_

_**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**_

_**And I can cap them all.**_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head**_

_**The Sorting Hat can't see,**_

_**So try me on and I will tell you**_

_**Where you ought to be.**_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor,**_

_**Where dwell the brave at heart,**_

_**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**_

_**Set Gryffindors apart;**_

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**_

_**Where they are just and loyal,**_

_**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**_

_**And unafraid of toil;**_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**_

_**if you've a ready mind,**_

_**Where those of wit and learning,**_

_**Will always find their kind;**_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin**_

_**You'll make your real friends,**_

_**Those cunning folk use any means**_

_**To achieve their ends.**_

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**_

_**And don't get in a flap!**_

_**You're in safe hands (though I have none)**_

_**For I'm a Thinking Cap!"~**_

The Hall burst into applause as the Hat did a strange bow of sorts.

**~The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

**"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Dorea. "I'll _kill_ Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."~**

The Trio snorted and exchanged grins. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he thought back to that Halloween - no, none of them _possibly_ could have... _Could they_?

**~Dorea smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Dorea didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her~**

Flitwick smiled at Dorea.

"If there was a house like that, nearly everyone would be in it." he squeaked.

**~Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

**"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"~**

Hannah grinned, stood up, and curtsied to the Hall as they applauded her once again.

**~shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Dorea saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

**"Bones, Susan!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"~**

Susan copied Hannah's actions for the same reason.

**~shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**"Boot, Terry!"**

**"RAVENCLAW!"~**

Terry stood up and bowed instead of a curtsying like the girls did.

**~The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw~**

Mandy stood and curtseyed as well to the applause.

**~too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor,~**

Lavender curtseyed and blew kisses to the applause that she was getting.

**~Dorea could see Gred and Forge catcalling.~**

And action which they happily repeated.

**~"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.~**

Millicent stood up and curtseyed as well, and seeing as how she never really did much bullying, the Hall politely applauded her.

**~Perhaps it was Dorea's imagination, after everything she'd heard about Slytherin might have contributed to it, but she thought they looked like a very unpleasant lot.~**

"Hey!" shouted a Slytherin first year. Dorea smiled sheepishly at the Slytherins.

"Well, they were all either kinda glaring daggers at the Gryffindors or they looked melancholic that this was their last sorting ceremony. I don't blame them for looking like that, the Slytherin House is usually treated the worst simply because of blind prejudices." Dorea explained. Bill's eyes narrowed as he noticed that Dorea's face was still very pale, as though she was anxious about her sorting... _But what could make her react so **badly?**_

**~She was starting to feel definitely sick now. She remembered being picked for teams during gym at her old school. She had always been last to be chosen, not because she was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked her.~**

Several people glared at the Dursleys for that.

**~"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"~**

Justin stood and bowed to the cheers that accompanied his sorting.

**~Sometimes, Dorea noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Dorea in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.~**

"It was judging between Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor." he shouted as he bowed, making Dean laugh at his friend.

**~"Granger, Hermione!"**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.~**

Hermione half heartedly threw a paperback book at Dorea, who dodged it and let it his her father instead.

"Too bloody observant." Hermione chuckled, making it clear to Moody that she meant no harm to the Potters.

**~"GRYFFINDOR!"~**

Hermione stood and curtseyed, giggling at the catcalls and wolfwhitsles she was getting from some of the older students. George, on the other hand, glowered at her blush. He _never_ got that reaction out of her!

**~shouted the hat. Ron groaned as quietly as he could.~**

"_OI_!" Hermione shouted, throwing a different(hard covered) book at her friend, while Susan began to beat him over the head.

"ZOWWY! _ZOWWY_!"(translation: "SORRY! _SORRY_!") Ron shouted, trying to ward off Susan while nursing his bleeding lip that the book had left him with.

**~A horrible thought struck Dorea, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?~**

"It's never happened at magical schools, we are very particular in making sure that we only enroll students with magical abilities so as to prevent accidentally sending invitations to muggle children and getting their hopes up for naught." McGonagall explained, making Dan nod. He could understand that reasoning - there was also the fact that Squibs couldn't learn magic due to their inability to access their magical core, so inviting them to learn at Hogwarts would be a moot point.

**~When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR,"~**

"I wanted it to put me in Hufflepuff, but it got its way in the end." Neville blushed, standing up and bowing as well. Dorea leaned across Bill and her mother to hug her friend once he sat back down.

"It put you where you belong, Nev." she said happily.

**~Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."~**

"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat shouted, making the Hall laugh at the mention and applaud as Morag stood up and curtseyed.

**~Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"~**

The Hall was silent, and Malfoy glared at the ground. _Stupid plebeians..._

**~Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now. "Moon" , "Nott" , "Parkinson" , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" , then "Perks, Sally-Anne" ,~**

Each of the mentioned stood and curtseyed or bow as a responce to their respected name.

**~and then, at last -**

**"Potter, Dorea!"~**

Everyone leaned forwards, wanting to know what the Hat said to her during her sorting. Could Dorea have been in a different House, or did it always want to place her in Gryffindor?

**~As Dores stepped forward, whispers suddenly brke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

**"_Potter_, did she say?"**

**"_The_ Dorea Potter?"~**

Dorea huffed, annoyed that everyone only cared about her for her fame, not for her as a person. It kinda hurt, when she thought about it. Was that the reason that everyone was willing to turn their backs on her so easily? That, because she was famous, they assumed everything she did to protect the school was for her to gain even more fame? Dorea felt tears sting her eyes, and she quickly blinked her eyes to get rid of them. _She would not cry, she would not cry..._

**~The last thing Dorea saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a better look at her.~**

"That would be bloody nerve-wracking. Not only are you nervous about what House you'll be sorted into, but now you have to worry about how _everyone_ will react." Remus growled, glaring at everyone who dared to make his cub feel so nervous.

**~Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.**

**"_Hmm_," said a small voice in her ear. _"Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting So where shall I put you?"_~**

Everyone blinked. Dorea... Literally could have gone into _any_ of the Houses?

**~Dorea gripped the edges of the stool and thought, _Not Slytherin, not Slytherin._**

**"_Not Slytherin, eh?_" said the small voice. "_Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -_~**

"_WHAT_?!" the Slytherin table, forgetting about all dignity and appearance, shouted in shock. Cat shrugged.

"It's not surprising, really. Any abused child needs to learn self preservation and cunning at a young age if they want to survive, which could explain why Slytherin gets so many more Dark witches and wizards - they turn to the Dark Arts for power so that they can never be in that situation again." she explained. When everyone stopped to think about it, many Gryffindors blushed as they realized that Cat was right. Lily sighed in relief at the mention - so Severus hadn't begun to turn Dark just because of the bullying he faced, it was also because of his _father_. _That still doesn't mean he didn't fully turn Dark because I abandoned him, though..._

**~_no? Well, if you're sure - better be _GRYFFINDOR!"~**

"Wait, why didn't you want to be in Slytherin? You don't seem to really care for House prejudices..." Daphne asked, clearly confused. Dorea smiled.

"Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin - unless he wanted to be strangled in his sleep I don't think it would've been a good idea to be in Slytherin." she answered. With that knowledge, every single Slytherin that wasn't in trouble with Warrington turned and glared icily at Malfoy. It was _his_ fault that Dorea Potter was in Gryffindor, _his_ fault that they kept losing all their Quidditch matches against Gryffindor!

**~Dorea heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. She was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook her hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"~**

Nearly all of these actions were repeated as Dorea stood up and curtseyed before blowing kissed in every direction. She didn't notice Bill's silly grin when she blew one to him with a wink, but Charlie did. The second oldest Weasley boy smirked - had Bill realized that he was in love with Dorea yet? Or did he need a wake up call?

**~Dorea sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff she'd seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm, giving Dorea the sudden, horrible feeling she'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.~**

Nick's eyes widened.

"Dorea, I am so sorry for that, I keep forgetting that you students get that feeling when one of us touches you." he explained. Dorea just waved it off, not really caring about that at the moment.

**~She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Dorea grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore.~**

Most of the Hall cheered while the look of disgust on Umbridge's face became so pronounced she looked more like a toad than ever.

**~Dorea recognized him at once from the card she'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.~**

"Does it _really_?" Dumbledore asked, running a hand down his beard. McGonagall sighed and nodded, much to the amusement of their students.

**~Dorea spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban that he hadn't been wearing before.~**

"Wait, why's he wearing that turban?" Bill asked, confused. Dorea shook her head.

"You'll find out later - the _real_ reason, that is." she announced. Everyone who had been taught by Quirrell that year looked confused - what did she mean the real reason? So he _didn't_ use it as a garlic storage container?

**~And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Dorea at the Gryffindor table.~**

Dean stood and bowed to the cheers of the Gryffindors.

**~"Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw~**

Lisa stood up and curtseyed for the Ravenclaws.

**~and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Dorea crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"~**

Ron stood and bowed to the cheers from the Gryffindors and from his family.

**~Dorea clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to her.**

**"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Dorea as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.~**

Blaise stood and bowed to the applause of his House.

**~Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Dorea looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.~**

"Technically they were hours ago, but still." Hermione said, and Dorea sent her a look.

"It took us until the end of the train ride to eat all those sweets, 'Mione." she corrected. Hermione's eyebrows raised, but she remained silent. Dorea had an excellent point there.

**~Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.~**

"Nothing could, seeing all the students in the Hall, happy to be back at Hogwarts again is one of the greatest things a Headmaster could see." Dumbledore said. Nearly everyone in the Hall stood and gave him a standing ovation for that wonderful statement. Kingsley patiently waited until the Weasley Twins and the Prewitt Twins were finished with their cheering before he continued.

**~"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"~**

Remus, Sirius, and James started laughing hysterically.

"We _corrupted_ you!" James shouted. Dumbledore gave him a knowing smile.

"Or was it _I_ that corrupted _you_?" he asked, causing laughter to ring throughout the Hall.

**~He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Dorea didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

**"Is he - is he a bit mad?" she asked Percy uncertainly.~**

"Mad? Of course! Every great witch or wizard has always had an ounce of madness in them!" Lily said, grinning. "Just look at your father!"

James didn't know whether he should be complimented or insulted by that.

**~"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Dorea?"**

**Dorea's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she would like to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.~**

"Why are those there?" a Ravenclaw Sixth Year asked. Dumbledore looked shocked.

"In case anyone wishes to freshen their breath after the feast, of course!"

**~The Dursleys had never exactly starved Dorea,~**

"BULL SHIT! _BULL_! _EFFING_! _SHIT_!" Bill shouted, glancing at Dorea. "We _really_ need to go over your definitions of things like this." Dorea winced and attempted to hide behind her mother, but failed as Lily picked Dorea up and passed her to Bill to hold. Dorea's eye twitched.

"Am I really _that_ tiny?" she asked, making Bill laugh and snuggle up to her. Fleur watched with fire dancing in her eyes. _That bitch was stealing her man!_

**~but she'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked.~**

"Again, we're going over your mental dictionary to make sure the definitions are correct." Bill muttered, nuzzling his cheek against Dorea's head. Dorea glared at Michaela, who drew a heart around herself and Bill. They agreed not to tease, but that never meant they couldn't piss the other off by doing annoying things.

**~Dudley had always taken anything that Dorea really wanted, even if it made him sick. Dorea piled her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat.**

**It was all delicious.**

**"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Dorea as she cut up her steak.**

**"Can't you -?"~**

"So caring." the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar sighed, smiling at Dorea. They saw her as a surrogate daughter or niece, thank you very much.

**~"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service, madam. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

**"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - _you're_ Nearly Headless Nick!"**

**"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

**"Nearly Headless? How can you be _nearly_ headless?"**

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.~**

"Oh, that is such a sensitive subject for Nick here. Poor man," the Gray Lady placed a hand on Nick's shoulder. "The axe swung close to 40 times, yet it _still_ missed that inch and a half of skin." she said sympathetically, while Nick started brooding.

"You'd think that they would've gotten a decent executioner, but _nooo_, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington doesn't deserve such kindness, not after all the Crusades he participated in for the Crown..." and the grumblings began once again. Myrtle floated right near Dorea.

"Just ignore him, he gets like this once a decade when his execution is brought up." she rolled her eyes. Dorea nodded and smiled at the young ghost.

"That would certainly explain why Lady Helena, Friar John, and Baron William all look a little peeved at Nick."

**~Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!~**

"Ugh! You mean that we didn't win _once_ since I was in third year?" Bill's nose wrinkled in distaste. And he had been hoping that Charlie's Quidditch skills would win them the House Cup...

"Snape took off as many points that I won." Charlie shrugged, making Lily's eyes harden. So Snape was prejudiced against the Gryffindors for his own experience with them, huh?

**~The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost, by the way."**

**Dorea looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Dorea was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.~**

Warrington smirked. He had been the one to encourage their House Ghost to sit next to the Malfoy Heir.

**~"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

**"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.~**

The Bloody Baron's gaze turned to the floor while the Gray Lady glared icily at him. Dorea's eyes widened - had the Baron killed Helena, and then committed suicide over what he had done?

**~When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate clairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding ~**

Stomachs growled as people blushed in embarrassment - breakfast had been almost 4 hours ago. Dumbledore smiled at his students.

"After this chapter we'll eat lunch." he announced, much to the relief of the hungry. Dorea, o the other hand, glanced down. Great, Bill was going to stuff her full... _Again_...

**~As Dorea helped herself to a treacle tart,~**

"Those are my favourites!" Bill said happily, making Dorea smile.

"Mine too." Bill grinned and squeezed Dorea tightly, causing Lily and Charlie to look at each other. Charlie grinned at the look on her face - by the looks of it, Lily Potter wanted in on getting Dorea and Bill together.

**~the talk turned to their families.**

**"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out." The others laughed,~**

"THAT'S _NOT_ FUNNY! WHAT IF HE TURNED _ABUSIVE_ BECAUSE OF THAT FACT!" Lily shouted, red in the face as she remembered Snape's father. Seamus paled, suddenly grateful for having such a wonderful father.

**~while Dorea felt a little nervous. What if his father had been like the Dursleys, and hated magic?~**

"_Exactly_." Lily nodded, glaring at those who had laughed. James and Sirius looked at each other - who had Lily known that had suffered like that?

**~"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

**"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages.~**

Lily growled something incoherable, before grabbing Neville, dragging him over to her seat, and holding him in a tight hug that made Neville feel like she was attempting to suffocate him.

**~My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned~**

Amelia took note of that while Lily growled even louder and squeezed Neville even tighter. She wasn't alone, though. James' face was set in a serious expression that suggested maiming, Sirius looked like he wanted to bite into Algie Longbottom's leg, and Remus started growling viciously, his eye bright amber.

**~but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go.~**

"HE _DROPPED_ YOU?" Lily shrieked, making Neville look around for some help. Dorea shook her head - there was no way she was crossing her mother when she looked like she was contemplating murder.

**~But I bounced all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."~**

"He ought to have given you _more_ than just a toad! Treating _my_ godson like that..." Lily growled viciously, Remus nodding in agreement. Neville looked confused at his old professor.

"Sir, you're my godfather?" he asked. Remus nodded. "Then why haven't I found out until now?" Remus looked confused.

"But I've sent you gifts every holiday, and your gran -" Both eyes narrowed as they realized what happened. Augusta Longbottom must have felt that Remus was too big a threat for her grandson, and kept him in the dark about his godfather. _She would pay for that..._

**~On Dorea's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons.~**

Ron and Dorea shook their head fondly at their favourite bushy-haired friend. Only Hermione would start a discussion about school on the first day they got there.

**~("I _do_ hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult -";~**

"Unless you have a natural talent in it." McGonagall said, looking at James and Dorea. She had most definitely inherited her father's skill in Transfiguration, she was second only to Hermione in that class.

**~"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing ").**

**Dorea, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair,~**

"_No_..." Sirius whimpered, hoping that Snape had only started teaching in Dorea's third year.

**~a hooked nose,~**

"It _can't_ be..." whispered James, hoping against hope that he was mistaken. Hoping that, in the very least, Snape wasn't teaching a core subject...

**~and sallow skin.~**

"_NOOOOOO_!" both wailed, knowing _exactly_ who Dorea was talking about.

**~It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Dorea's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Dorea's forehead.~**

"He better not be using Legilimency on you." James growled. Dorea looked confused.

"What's that?" she asked. Sirius answered.

"In muggle terms, it would be called mind-reading. It's where he can enter your mind and see what you're thinking, he could also influence you as well. Usually it needs eye-contact, and we already know that Snivellus is accomplished in Occlumency, the protection against Legilimency, and Legilimency." Sirius ground out. He looked at Dorea. "I'll check your mental walls later - we should probably teach you occlumency as well. Would you rather use your emotions in it or guard them?" he asked. Dorea's eyes narrowed while she thought about it.

"Uh, guarding them would make me like Snape, right?" she asked. Sirius nodded. "Then I'd rather use my emotions." Sirius and Lily smiled.

"So we'll be teaching you our version of Legilimency - using your emotions to make a labyrinth around your mind." Sirius replied. Dorea nodded, and indicated for Kingsley to keep reading. She missed Umbridge's furious look - _the Potter bratlette was going to learn **Occlumency**?_

**~"Ouch!" Dorea clapped a hand to her head.**

**"What is it?" asked Percy.**

**"N-nothing."~**

Percy looked at his lap - he had known Dorea was lying about that, and he didn't want to pressure her into explaining it. He had just thought that she had gotten a sudden headache from all the excess magic in the room, muggleborns or muggle-raised were known to have it occasionally happen... He never thought Snape would actually dare to use _Legilimency_ on her...

**~The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Dorea had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like Dorea at all.~**

"That's our fault, Bambi. Our relationship with Snivellus is similar to your relationship with Malfoy - we attempt to send each other to the Hospital Wing, but we don't try to kill each other yet." Remus explained. Dorea just waved it off.

**~"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked Percy.**

**"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."~**

"The more you know about them, the easier it is to defend you and your loved ones against them. Which is why the Potters are traditionally Gray." James explained, and Dorea nodded. It made sense - hadn't she been able to throw off the Imperius much easier than the others, because she understood how it worked?

**~Dorea watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at her again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again.**

**The hall fell silent.**

**"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.~**

"That used to be us." James sighed happily.

"And us." the Prewitts added.

"Now it's us too." the Trio grinned. Dumbledore chuckled at their antics, he really did love the mischief makers of the school.

**~"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.~**

People snorted. Like anyone paid attention to that rule, the professors didn't even enforce it.

**~"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.~**

"Or catch Neville's remembrall " Ron grinned. Everyone that didn't know how Dorea got onto the Quidditch team in first year, which was everyone that wasn't in Slytherin or Gryffindor of Dorea's year, looked at him in confusion. What did that mean?

**~"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."~**

"Wait, _what_?" Lily asked, confused. James looked at Dorea, grinning.

"You find out what's there, don't you?" he asked. Dorea puffed out her chest.

"Of course I did." Bill whacked Dorea sharply on the head for being proud of that fact, while Lily did the same for James.

**~Dorea laughed, but she was one of the few who did.**

**"He's not serious?" she muttered to Percy, who looked a little cross.**

**"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."~**

Percy winced. He really _had_ been a prat once he got that badge... Strangely, Dorea came to his rescue in that sense.

"It probably would've actually been better to tell the Prefect what the first challenge was, that way they could've helped make sure no students met Fluffy." she said. Neville looked at her like she grew two other heads and started growling at him. (Fluffy implication intended)

"_Fluffy_?" he asked incredulously. Dorea shrugged.

"Hagrid named him."

**~"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Dorea noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.~**

Dumbledore looked shocked while many of the professors face planted on the table in front of them.

"Sorry 'bout that!" Dorea shouted out, making several people chuckle.

**~Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.~**

People wiggled in their seats, everyone wanted to sing the song.

**~"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

**And the school bellowed:~**

"SING! SING! SING! SING!" the Weasley Twins chanted. Kingsley chuckled and opened his mouth to start singing, the students all joining in.

_**~"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,**_

_**Teach us something please,**_

_**Whether we be old and bald**_

_**Or young with scabby knees,**_

_**Our heads could do with filling**_

_**With some interesting stuff,**_

_**For now they're bare and full of air,**_

_**Dead flies and bits of fluff,**_

_**So teach us things worth knowing,**_

_**Bring back what we've forgot,**_

_**Just do your best, we'll do the rest,**_

_**And learn until our brains all rot."~**_

Everyone began applauding as the Weasley Twins finished their funeral march once again.

**~Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.~**

The twins in question grinned - they _loved_ doing that.

**~Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.~**

Some people cheered, causing everyone else to laugh. Umbridge scowled. When would they get to revealing Potter's lies?

**~"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"~**

"What are we, _horses_?" a Hufflepuff asked, making the Hall laugh.

**~The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Dorea's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.~**

"Sorry about that, I just wanted to get you all into the dorms so you didn't fall asleep in the Hall!" Percy called out. The Weasleys blinked at him - there was something _different_ about him, but they didn't know exactly _what_... It was like Percy was reverting back to the way he was in his fourth year, before he got the Prefect Badge...

Umbridge scowled and glanced at Percy goblet, reaching into her pocket. _The Imperius Potion was beginning to wear off..._

Just as she was about to pour some of the Mind-Controlling Potion from the small vial into his goblet, a flash of crimson light hit her, knocking Umbridge unconscious Everyone blinked as they looked at Ginny, whose eyes were glaring angrily, a snarl imprinted on her face.

"SHE'S BEEN SPIKING HIS DRINK!" she roared, peeved at the woman. Amelia gingerly picked up the vial of potion, and gave it a wiff. She plugged her nose as she held the potion at arms length away from her, disgusted with her discovery.

"Imperius Potion." she stated, making everyone freeze. Molly looked like she was about to murder the toad-woman. That - that - that _bitch_ has been controlling her _son_? The Prewitt twins growled, whipping out their wands and tying Umbridge up. They knew something was wrong with their nephew, but they didn't know what. To think that he was being _controlled_ by this woman, it made them sick.

Percy, on the other hand, felt like he had been slapped in the face with a smelly fish and punched in the gut by Dorea. A Ministry official... Had been dosing him with mind controlling potions? Percy felt like his world was beginning to crumble - was _that_ why he had been promoted? Because Umbridge needed someone to tear apart the Weasley family from the inside?

Fudge stared at Umbridge in shock. That potion was very illegal, and she knew it, but she had _still_ decided to dose his assistant with it? Perhaps _he_ had been dosed with it as well? Fudge didn't know who he could trust anymore...

Once things began to calm down, Kingsey coughed so as to attract everyone's attention, then continued reading.

**~They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Dorea was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

**"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

**"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"~**

"Don't pull the Baron card out that early, he won't listen." James advised. Neville snorted.

"Yeah, just threaten him with Dorea instead." he grinned. Peeves whooped as he swooped down and ruffled Dorea's hair.

"Missy Potty has Peevesy's respect, that she does!" he grinned, the floated back up to his perch. James raised an eyebrow at his daughter.

"What did you do to earn his respect?" he asked. Dorea grinned.

"It'll probably be in the last chapters." she said mysteriously. Bill sighed.

"Will we be learning this stuff anytime soon? Like _why_ you have a grudge against Scabbers?" he asked. Dorea smiled.

"That's at the end of the third book." she responded. Bill sighed heavily and clung to Dorea more, checking the time. They would be eating lunch soon, it was 12:05.

**~There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked quickly to avoid being hit.**

**"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.**

**"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.~**

"IT AIN'T OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SINGS!" Lily shouted randomly, making all those who understood what she meant laugh their lungs out.

**~"Password?" she said.**

**"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.~**

The other Houses pouted. They wanted to know what the Gryffindor Common Room looked like, details people! What happened to Dorea's observant traits?

**~Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: six four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains.~**

"That sounds _really_ comfy..." Padma sighed, thinking about the Ravenclaw dormitories.

**~Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.**

**"The Hall was amazing, wasn't it?" Hermione muttered to Dorea through the hangings.**

**Dorea was going to ask Hermione if she had tried any of the treacle tart, but she fell asleep almost at once.~**

"I was wondering why you never answered me." Hermione whispered, leaning her head on George's shoulder.

"_Only_ at Hogwarts can that happen." Dianna Vane, a fellow Gryffindor fifth-year, shook her head fondly at Dorea. The poor girl had been waking up in cold sweats from nightmares recently, either about some door at the end of a hall or from what happened to Cedric. She had always needed a small dose of Dreamless Sleeping Draught after the nightmares about Cedric, which, fortunately, only came up about once every week. Dreamless Sleeping Draught was addicting, and they didn't want to give Dorea too much of it in case she did get addicted to the potion.

**~Perhaps Dorea had eaten a bit too much, because she had a very strange dream. She was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her she must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny. Dorea told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at her as she struggled with it - then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold 0 there was a burst of green light and Dorea woke, sweating and shaking.~**

Dorea and Hermione exchanged glances._ Foreshadowing in the form of a dream?_

Meanwhile, Lavender sighed.

"It's so sad that Dorea waking up like that is common now..." she muttered, glancing down at the table. She might not believe what Dorea said about Voldemort being back, but that didn't mean she hated the girl with everyone ounce of her body. Quite the contrary - all the girls in Gryffindor got along just fine, thing was that on Gryffindor Girl Nights they had to keep their mouths shut on their opinion about whether Dorea was lying or not, otherwise they'd be kicked out.

**~She rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.~**

Kingsley looked at the next chapter title and chuckled. He looked at Albus as he marked the page and closed the book.

"Perhaps Professor Snape should read next?" he asked. Dumbledore nodded, and with a clap of his hands, lunch appeared in front of everyone.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 11,930**

**Wow... Short chapter... For my standards, at least.**

***dodging rotten tomatoes thrown by Snape fans* I HAVE SNAPE BASHING IN THE WARNINGS, PEOPLE! IT'S AT THE TOP - GO READ IT IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME! Also, if you actually read what the part says, it states, and I quote: "Before Snape could even think, for if he was he would never do this, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lily's back." Meaning that Snape wasn't thinking when he did that, otherwise it never would've happened. And for the record: *evil smirk* I liked breaking Snape's nose. *starts dodging rotten fruits and vegetables being thrown at me***

**Review Count: 100**

**Wow... 100 right there! Love you guys so much right now! *glomps readers***

**Review Goal for chapter 8: 110**

**So please review and tell me what you think, guys! Love it? Hate it? If you hate it give a reason why, and make it good! Otherwise you might be blocked!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO HIT THE DAMN REVIEW BUTTON AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	9. Book 1: Chapter 8

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**Note: When a nose is broken it appears that a person's eyes darken as well. I think it's due to the blood flow to the nose, but I'm not entirely sure...**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**MistBlade8: Nah, she would never do something like that to her beloved Minister. Fudge was just having a panic "What if?" moment, you know, where someone starts panicking and questioning anything and everything that's happened to them? I loved Ginny too, the idea is that she's protective of her family like Moly is, but on a much less degree. And to clear things up for you - it was a mix of Voldemort being there and using Legilimency on her, and Snape using passive Legilimency on her to find out what she thought of him. That was, there's still some Snape bashing, but it's not overly so. Snape is loyal to Dumbledore, but you need to remember, this is a Snape bashing fic, so he won't be portrayed as Light or Dark - he's pure Slytherin, working only for himself. And I appreciate someone understanding where I'm coming from - the editing and balance part is really hard to do! I mean, first off, there are the parts where you need to actually make a plot for the characters READING the book to go by, second off is that it takes forever to add in all the changes and make sure that everything fits in, and finally you can't have too much of the reading or too much commentary at once, you need to get a good balance for it. And it kinda pisses me off that no one seems to know how much effort it actually takes to write a good one of these stories...**

**griffindork93: Heh, I had it planned that Snape was going to attempt to Imperio Lily once I wrote Lily coming back. And to answer your question - no, it's not because Lily can shake it off that Dorea can shake it off as well, it's partly because of her strong will and partly because she understands how it works, it tempts someone into doing what the caster wants them to do. I needed to point that out, because it seems unfair to me how Dorea gets ostracized almost every flipping books(only books it doesn't happen in are the Third and Sixth!), and it's also to make the professors realize how oblivious they really are the the happenings of the students. I see it as Luna always staying near the back of the class and staying silent as she works - Snape will be the only one to notice that she goes around barefoot, but he won't do anything about it because she isn't one of his precious Snakes. Dorea became close with the ghosts when she was ostracized in her first year and even closer in her second when she attended Nick's Death Day Party - sorta like how Luna, in canon, was close with the Gray Lady, Dorea is close with all the ghosts because she actually wanted to know them, their life stories, what they learnt while haunting Hogwarts, everything. And how the Baron comforted her - he found her in the corner of an empty classroom crying because of how her friends are being treated and wouldn't leave until she calmed down and explained what was happening to him. It'll go more into detail when we get to that part of the book. She made sure Moody knew that because it's MOODY, for crying out loud, he's paranoid and would have thought that Hermione was a spy or was a DE under a Polyjuice Potion for all we knew. NOVEMBER 4TH IS NOW OFFICIALLY GONNA "BE BLAME A MALFOY DAY" FOR ME! Exactly why he and Dorea are going to go over them with Lily and James. It is really sad how in canon Harry always said he was fine when he wasn't because he was scared of how people would react if they found out how hurt he really was, and as such that WILL CHANGE. Well, it makes sense. Alice and Lily are always described as being friends, so Alice and Frank would be around the Marauders a lot because they're around Lily a lot. Sirius was already Dorea's godfather, so Alice and Frank made Remus Neville's godfather to remind him that even though he has his 'furry little problem' he still has a family that loves him. The prejudice is completely wrong in my opinion, and the werewolf decrees that make it almost impossible for a werewolf to hold down a job will be eliminated, since Umbridge was the one who had them instated. I'll say this once again: You are the only person who has reviewed on every single chapter I have updated, and for that I thank you!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Dorea was staring at the plate set in front of her mournfully. It was less food than she was told to eat at breakfast, but it was still more than she could eat. Two sandwiches, a bowl of fruit salad, a bowl of pasta salad, and a goblet of pumpkin juice sat in front of her. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, probably watching her out of concern, but she really didn't want to eat any of it. Bill poked her cheek with her spoon, trying to attract her attention. She lifted her head just enough to look him in the eyes.

"Sweety, you need to eat something." he murmured in her ear. Dorea looked back down at her plate.

"Not hungry." she whispered. Bill's eyes narrowed - he knew what to do, seeing as he had to feed Ginny when she was stubborn before he moved away to Egypt. He grabbed Dorea's chin, a spoonful of fruit, and held the spoon up to her mouth. Dorea blushed bright red as she realized what Bill was doing - he was _feeding_ her!

"Open wide and say '_aaah_'." Bill teased, smiling at Dorea's blush. He warned her this morning, didn't he? If she didn't eat then he would make her eat. Dorea, blush deepening, opened her mouth and allowed Bill to feed her, snickers from nearly everyone in the background. Fleur was staring at the scene with an uncontrollable rage. That was it. She had to get rid of Dorea Potter, the girl was too much of a threat to her relationship with Bill. Or maybe... She glanced at his goblet. _Maybe she could give him a Love Potion tomorrow, then use her Veela magic on him to make him hers. Yes, that would work..._

As lunch finished, Snape and Madam Pomfrey slowly walked back into the Hall. Jaws dropped as everyone looked at the Potions Master - he looked like a racoon with his darkened, almost black, eyes! Lily couldn't help but smirk when she saw his condition, the bastard deserved it for trying to Imperius her. Her smirk widened into a sneer when she saw that Pomfrey had done almost nothing to help Snape other than reset his nose so it wouldn't be crooked. Once Snape sat down at the table, Kingsley levitated the book to Snape. The Slytherin Head glared at the book like it had been the one the murder his unborn child. He picked it up like it was a venomous creature and glanced at Dumbledore.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." he drawled. The Headmaster sent him a warning glance, making Snape pick up the book and turn to the next chapter. He sent a glare out to the room, and once he saw Malfoy point at Kingsley, his glare then turned to the well-liked Auror. It didn't appear to bother Kingsley, though, so Snape started reading, albeit very grudgingly.

**~CHAPTER EIGHT - THE POTIONS MASTER**~ Snape read, his face pulled back into a sneer.

**~"There, look."**

**"Where?"**

**"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."~**

"Geez, thanks for all the love, guys. Could've at least pointed out that I'm a Weasley." Ron said, making a random Ravenclaw seventh year scream "SORRY!"

**~"Wearing the glasses?"**

**"Did you see her face?"**

**"Did you see her scar?"**

**Whispers followed Dorea from the moment she left her dormitory the next day.~**

"That was really annoying." Dorea groaned, leaning her head back on Bill's shoulder. Bill pinched her cheek.

"You must have been an _adorable_ first year, though. Look at all the attention you were getting!" he smirked. Fleur dug her nails into her thigh in order to keep herself from digging them into Dorea's face. _Bill was **her's** dammit! Not Dorea Too-Many-Lady-Titles-Potter!_

**~People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at her, or doubled back to pass her in the corridors again, staring. Dorea really wished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding her way to classes in this giant castle.~**

"Sorry..." sounded from every student from the fifth year and up. Dorea just waved it off.

"Only the firsties do that anymore, and it's only during the first week, anyway. Doesn't bother me anymore." she said. Viktor sent her an amused look.

"And what about large crowds?" he asked. Dorea pointed at him, completely serious.

"Now _that_ is an entirely different story." she said, making Viktor grin and shake his head. He understood exactly what she meant - nearly being trampled by fans is _not_ fun.

**~There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:~**

"That wasn't in Hogwarts, A History." Hermione said, her eyes narrowed. James grinned at Dorea, knowing exactly what she meant when that was stated. It happened to every Potter, or so his father told him. Hogwarts was semi-sentient, and if it sensed a descendant of one of the Founders it will provide basic information about the castle. Depending on who the student was a descendant of, the information was different. For example, the Potters always received information on shortcuts through the school because Gryffindor was the one who made them.

"Nah, that's inherited." James said with a grin. Hermione raised an eyebrow, before she remembered that Dorea and James were both descendants of Godric Gryffindor. No more questions were asked.

**~wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place,~**

"Ah, the kitchens. The House Elves are just oh-so helpful." Sirius said, licking his lips as he remembered the food that he, James, and Sirius would eat when they snuck down there in the middle of the night.

**~and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.**

**The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Dorea was sure the coats of armour could walk.~**

"They can." everyone, except the first years, said at the same time. A first year muggleborn looked shocked.

"They _can_?" she screamed, looking shocked. Several of the upper years laughed at the expression on her face, not remembering once that she was new to the magical world, and thus wouldn't know about the suits of armour being able to move.

**~The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open.~**

Each ghost's face turned more silver, their version of a blush. They tried to be useful, but it just took a while for the first years to get used to them. By that time they already knew their way around the castle, and weren't very much of a help. Because of that, they never had anyone to discuss anything with... Which was why they liked Dorea so much. If she saw them in a hallway or room, she would actually take the time to talk to them.

**~Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction,~**

"Thanks Nick!" every Gryffindor shouted, making Nick's face flush a bright silver at the praise.

**~but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class.~**

Peeves cackled as he flipped upside down.

"It's to encourage to ickle firsties to get to class on timesies!" he howled in laughter. McGonagall shook her head - Peeves could mean well when he wanted to, but he was a poltergeist, and as such, was meant to cause mayhem.

**~He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"~**

"You _still_ do that?" Lily asked incredulously while the Marauders laughed so hard they were crying. The Prewitt Twins took it upon themselves to explain it.

"_They_ were the ones to teach him that." they said, nodding over at the currently laughing-to-death Marauders.

**~Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Dorea and Ron somehow managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.~**

"Total accident, it'll come up in a moment!"

**~Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.~**

"We thought it was the Charms classroom, they're in the same area..." Ron muttered, face red. Susan was too busy laughing so hard she nearly wet herself, so she didn't bother saying anything in response.

**~He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.~**

Dorea looked down at her lap darkly. _How could she not have known? It was so blindingly obvious... But all the clues pointed to Snape at the time... Quirrell would have been an excellent muggle actor..._

**~Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's.~**

Said cat hissed at Dorea, making Crookshanks hiss right back. Sirius grinned at the sight of the dusty cat, before Remus hit him over the head.

"_Down_, mutt." he chuckled, making Sirius stop and glare at his friend before tackling him and attempting to give him a wet willy.

Those who were still scared of Sirius in the Hall were staring at him in shock. They never imagined that he would really just be a giant 10 year old, and friends with their favourite ex-Defense Professor at that.

**~She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins)~**

"The Marauders know this school better." the Prewitt Twins huffed. Remus chuckled and pointed at Dorea.

"She, Ron, and Hermione know this school better than we ever could." he stated, remembering Ginny's tale of how Dorea saved her in the Chamber. Ginny couldn't really tell much about what really happened, all she knew was that Dorea killed the monster(she refused to say what it really was) and got Ginny out of there.

**~and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated them, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.~**

"Or a good bite." Sirius grinned wolfishly. Mrs. Norris stared up at Sirius in horror, suddenly knowing who that Grim that bit her was. _Stinking Marauders!_

**~And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Dorea quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words like muggles made it seem.**

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch~**

Professor Sprout huffed in annoyance at her description.

**~called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.~**

"Oh Merlin, we need to teach you history as well." Remus sighed, holding his head in his hands. "Siri can take care of that." Sirius stared at Remus in shock, then grinned. History was his forte, and he knew _just_ how to teach it.

He needed to get his hand puppets out of storage.

**~Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk.~**

Lily chuckled and shook her head at her favourite professor while the Hall burst into laughter. It wasn't his fault he was tiny, he was quarter dwarf! Snape's eye twitched and he read above the noise, not caring about waiting for everyone to stop at all.

**~At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Dorea's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.~**

The laughter became more pronounced as many adults joined in. Eye twitching violently, Snape continued to speak louder. He wanted to get this over with quickly, before he murdered someone.

**~Professor McGonagall was again different. Dorea had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross.~**

Many nodded, but James grinned.

"Unless you use pranks as revenge against cheaters~~!" he said way off key, making Lily cringe at the noise and whack him over the head with a book that Hermione had thrown at Dorea earlier. Needless to say it shut him up quite quickly.

**~Strict and clever,~**

"That's not so surprising, seeing as she is named after the Roman goddess of wisdom." Luna said in an exceptionally dreamy voice, looking at Hedwig happily. Owls _were_ symbols of wisdom, after all. And Hedwig was the most beautiful owl she had ever seen.

**~she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.**

**"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."~**

James and Sirius snorted, while Dorea and Ron grinned at each other. Both sets of redheaded twins laughed hysterically at the idea, while McGonagall fumed.

"I say that to make sure the first years behave, _all right_?" she demanded. All 8 grinned at McGonagall and nodded, each thinking about the times that they screwed around in Transfiguration and never got sent out. "Also, James, Dorea," The mentioned looked at McGonagall curiously. "I never kicked either of you two out because you usually finish the work I assign before either of you messed around with Mr. Black or Mr. Weasley." she explained. Both Potters 'oooh'ed, their faces identical expressions of understanding.

**~Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; though Dorea had hidden the needle she had transformed so as not to attract more attention to herself. Ron had seen this, though, and gave Dorea a disapproving look.~**

Hermione's jaw dropped. Dorea... Had stayed _quiet_ about her schoolwork because she didn't want any more attention? But she should take _pride_ in being smart, in being one of the top three in the year! It just didn't make _sense_ to her...

**~Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.~**

"You got one the next lesson, though." Hermione huffed. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Only because I pointed it out to McGonagall before she could hide it." Ron stated, making Hermione blush and think about the first few months of their first year. She had been so full of herself then, and it looks like she was still full of it when it came to those lessons as well. She didn't want to be, though, and she didn't try to be. It's just, all she ever grew up with was books and academics. Being homeschooled with the children next door that hated her guts turned her to relying on books for comfort and schooling for recognition. She could see why no one originally wanted to be her friend now...

**~The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.~**

"That _sucks_." James stated, sitting back in his seat. He was hoping that Quirrell would be a competent DADA professor, those were so hard to find now because of the Curse on the position.

**~His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days.~**

Michaela let out a hollow laugh. "No vampire would waste their time after failing to drink his blood the first time. He should've been more worried about any Elves he could have come across instead - Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is the most well known High Elf from Romania. High Elves that hail from Romania are well known in the Seelie World to be vicious and merciless when it comes to their... Well, for lack of better terms, _prey_." Michaela explained, a sheepish grin on her face. Charlie could see her canines were slightly longer than a normal humans, that her teeth were all straight and pearly white, and that her tongue was a slightly brighter pink than her lips. Charlie blushed a pale pink and turned away, wondering why he was so damn focused on her mouth like that. _He had just been curious about her canines and then noticed the rest... Yeah, that was it... It had nothing to do with how cute she is... DAMMIT DON'T START THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT!_

Molly looked from Charlie's blush to Michaela with narrowed eyes. She didn't want her son with someone that was so... She looked down at Michaela's clothing choice. _Scarlet-y _was the word she was looking for.

**~His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie,~**

The Trio snorted at the idea. They knew what that turban had really been for.

**~but they weren't sure they believed this story.~**

"For the sake of your sanity, _don't_." Ron said, Hermione rolling her eyes.

"You would not believe what he actually had hidden under there." she added. Dumbledore looked at them curious. Quirrell's face and head had completely melted off the bone by the time he had gotten there, so he couldn't really tell what had been under his turban... Perhaps a way to summon Voldemort?

Dumbledore had no idea what a surprise he was in for at the end of the book in a few days' time.

**~For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather;~**

"Faker." Sierra hissed, glaring at the book. If there was something she hated more than murderers and rapists, it was cowards who took the easy way out. She turned her glance to Fleur, who was staring at Bill with longing and Dorea with hatred. She would do anything in her power to keep Fleur away from Bill, he was Dorea's. She could practically see the love that the two had for each other, no matter how hard either one of them tried to hide it or deny it, everyone could tell they were smitten for each other.

**~for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.~**

"Uh, no. It was stuffed with something _much_ more foul." Dorea said, touching her neck gingerly, remembering how it felt to have Quirrell's hands squeezing it... Bill looked at her, a little concerned - why did she touch her neck out of nowhere?

**~Dorea was very relieved to find out that she wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like her, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.**

**Friday was an important day for Dorea and Ron.~**

"How so?" Remus asked, honestly curious about it.

**~They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.~**

"Impressive. Took me two weeks to achieve that." Lily smirked, looking at Dorea and Bill, who were subconsciously cuddling.

**~"What have we got today?" Dorea asked Ron as she poured sugar on her porridge.**

**"Double Potions with the Slytherins," groaned Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them - we'll be able to see if it's true."~**

"It _is_." moaned three of the four Houses. Lily glared up at Snape, who hid his face behind the book to escape the glare. Snape had always been the one who complained about favouritism, the bloody hypocrite!

**~"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Dorea. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before. It had been easy, sure, but it was still a lot of work.~**

"That only happens when it comes down to Quidditch." James said, giving McGonagall his best cheeky grin. McGonagall rolled her eyes and shook her head - once a Marauder, always a Marauder. Remus proved that quite efficiently.

**~Just then, the mail arrived. Dorea had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.~**

"Someone give us newbies a heads up, it nearly gave half of us heart attacks to see them swooping down like that. It reminds me of The Birds." a thrid year muggle-raised halfblood said, making everyone who understood the reference towards the well-known horror movie laugh.

**~Hedwig hadn't brought Dorea anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble her ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.~**

Hedwig hooted happily and perched herself on Bill's shoulder, nipping her Mistress' Mate's ear. Dorea smiled as Bill looked astonished at Hedwig.

"She likes you." Dorea said happily, holding a hand out to her owl. Hedwig hooted and nipped Dorea's hand fondly, then turned and glared at the threat to her Mistress and her Mate, the French-Veela-Woman. Fleur glared right back at the stupid bird, she always hated owls.

**~This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Dorea's plate. Dorea tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

**Dear Dorea,**

**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?  
****I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**

**Hagrid~**

"Thank you, Hagrid, for being there for Dorea." Lily said, tears stinging her eyes at the thought of everything Dorea went through. She would be damned if someone hurt her daughter now that she was here to help her for once.

**~Dorea borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.**

**It was lucky that Dorea had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to her so far.~**

"We know. We _all_ know." Fay Dunbar groaned. Dorea and Neville were bullied mercilessly in that class, it was only thanks to Hermione telling them a spell that kept the Slytherins from sabotaging their potions that kept Neville from constantly getting Ts in that subject.

**~At the start-of-term banquet, dorea had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked her. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been horribly wrong.~**

"Huh? What's that mean?" James asked, confused. Snape seemed to hate Dorea at the Opening Feast, how could she be wrong?

**~Snape didn't dislike Dorea,~**

"I repeat. Huh?" James asked, making the Hall snicker. Snape rolled his eyes and continued. Stupid Potter...

**~he _hated_ her.~**

"Aaah! The world is right again." Sirius beat James to the punch, making the snickers grow even louder.

**~Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons.~**

"Less of a chance of potions damaging the castle that way." Remus explained.

**~It was colder here than up in the main castle,~**

"Heating charms make the potions more volatile, or blows them up completely. It all depends on how delicate the potion you're making is, really." Lily explained for the first years that looked like they were about to complain about that fact.

**~and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.~**

"Keeps them nice and fresh for potions and looks creepy." James commented. He hadn't been amazing at Potions like Lily was, but he was capable enough to become an Unspeakable.

**~Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Dorea's name.**

**"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Dorea Potter. Our new - _celebrity_."~**

"Snivellus..." Lily growled, glaring at the man hiding behind the book. If he hadn't been, Lily would've seen the shame and terror in his eyes. Over the years he had forgotten how terrifying an angry Lily could be, and breaking his nose had brought back the memories of watching Lily nearly kill Bellatrix LeStrange in battle. Shame she didn't, he really didn't like the psychotic woman.

**~Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's,~**

"Don't compare the two of them, that just insults Hagrid." George said, making a face at the comparison. Molly looked like she wanted to scold her son for being rude, but considering how nearly everyone was agreeing with him, she wisely held her tongue. She really didn't want to have anyone against her.

**~but they had none of Hagrid's warmth.~**

"Ah, thank you for the redemption." Fabian said, bowing his head to Dorea. Dorea giggled at everyone's nods - really? Really?

**~They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.~**

"Oh, so why do you need Occlumency around her?" Sirius sneered at the book covered face. Snape knew he couldn't say why - because Dorea's eyes reminded him of Lily.

**~"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -~**

"That is... Actually a really good speech." Remus blinked, actually surprised.

**~if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."~**

"Aaand _that's _what we were looking for." Arthur nodded. He remembered Severus Snape from when he was a seventh year and the Potions Master was a first. He had been bitter, even back then.

**~More silence followed this little speech. Dorea and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Who used the word 'dunderheads' anymore? Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.~**

Hermione blushed and George pulled her into a hug.

"We love you all the same." he whispered. Dorea grinned, knowing they would be good for each other. Gerge could help Hermione loosen up about academics, while Hermione could help George take his academics more seriously, and also help him with tasteful prank ideas.

**~"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"~**

"That's a _NEWT_ potion! She won't know it!" Lily shouted, outraged at Snape. He continued reading, desperate to get this chapter over with. Albus checked his watch - only 1:15, they were doing pretty good. Probably because Snape wanted to get this over with quickly.

**~Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Dorea glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as she was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.~**

James whistled, impressed by that.

**~"I'm afraid don't know, sir," said Dorea.**

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer.**

**"Tut, tut - fame _clearly_ isn't everything."~**

"Did she even mention her fame when she was in the classroom?" Cat snarled, making everyone stop and stare at her for a a moment. Cat, the calm, collected Cat, snarled? Then again, she did maul Marge's leg...

**~He ignored Hermione's hand.**

**"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"~**

"That's not covered until third year!" Sirius screamed, peeved for this unfair treatment towards his goddaughter.

**~Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Dorea didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. She tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.~**

"Stuff it, you three, when Professor Snape asked you all the same question in the Common Room the night before none of you knew either!" Theo shouted, glaring at the three. Malfoy sneered.

"Well, if you feel like defending those Lions so much, why don't you just join them?" he taunted, not knowing that Theo would actually go through with the idea. Theo gave him on long, hard look, before turning to look at the circle.

"You know what? _I think I will_." he announced, standing up and walking over to them. He hopped the back of the sofa and sunk into the seat in between Fred and Fleur. He looked up at Fred and nodded. "'Sup?" he asked. The redhead grinned at him.

"Welcome to the Devil's Circle! I'm Fred Weasley, and I'll be you navigator this afternoon." he announced arms spread wide to show off everyone in the circle. Theo chuckled at the 17 year old's antics and settled into the group quite nicely.

Back at the Slytherin table, Malfoy and Parkinson were staring at Theo in shock. Neither of them had expected Theo to _actually_ get up and join the circle.

**~"I really don't know, sir."**

**"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Dorea forced herself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. She had looked through her books at the Dursleys', but did Snape actually expect her to remember _everything_ in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?~**

"It's not an herb of fungi, it's actually a stone." Dorea corrected her past self, making Lily and Neville beam at her. "And the answer to that question was yes, yes he did."

**~Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.**

**"What is the difference, Potter, between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"~**

"They're the same thing, but it also goes by Aconite as well." Lily provided, glaring at Snape. "And that's not covered until the last part of first year."

**~At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

**"I don't know," said Dorea quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"~**

"You have your mother's cheek." James commented, making Dorea beam with pride of having more and more in common with her parents than she's ever been told.

**~A few people laughed; Dorea caught Seamus' eye, and Seamus winked.~**

Some random Hufflepuff wolf whistled, much to Dorea and Seamus' embarrassment and Bill's anger.

**~Snape, however, was not pleased.**

**"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and Wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"~**

"Uh, how about you never even told them to take out their parchment and quills to begin with?" Remus offered, glaring at the man that got him fired from the one job he really enjoyed.

**~There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."~**

"Meh, not that big a deal. I've lost more for, and I quote, "breathing too loudly"." Dorea said, thinking back when Mrs. Norris was Petrified. James nodded.

"And that's actually something reasonable to take points away for."

**~Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils.~**

"Wait, you didn't even teach them the preparation lesson and you're having them brew already?" James asked, completely confused. Dorea looked over at her father.

"What's the preparation lesson?" she asked. Lily's eyes snapped back to Snape, whose face was completely covered by the book.

"Dorea, if you'd like, I'll take you and your friends aside to tutor you all in Potions until the last book is read." Lily offered. Dorea smiled, thinking about how nice that would actually be.

"I'd like that." she answered. The Gryffindors began to cheer - someone who wasn't Snape was offering to teach the upper years Potions, and in turn, they could help them with their potions, too!

**~He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs~**

"It's impossible to stew them properly if it's the first time you're doing so, but you _can_ get them pre-stewed." Lily snapped, eyes narrowed.

**~when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.~**

"Uh oh..." Sirius said, thinking back to his first Potions lesson where Peter had melted his cauldron because he purposely ignored the instructions, thinking it would be cool.

**~Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus' cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.~**

"Ouch..." Sirius muttered, rubbing his arms where the boils had sprouted because Peter went against the instructions. Once Slughorn found out what Peter had done, he had given that stupid rat a month's worth of detentions for endangering other students by purposely sabotaging his own potion, taken 50 points from Gryffindor, and sent an owl home to Peter's mother to tell her what he had done. When someone sabotaged someone else's potion, no matter their House, they had three month's worth of detentions, 100 points taken from their House, and they would not be welcome to brew until the punishments were over. Needless to say, _everyone_ had taken Potions seriously with him, and the only explosions that would happen would be purely accidental.

**~"Idiot boy!"~**

"_SEVERUS_! That is _not_ how you address a student that has made a mistake!" Dumbledore scolded, actually glaring at Snape. He had simply thought that the complaints the Gryffindors had filed were exaggerations, and had given Snape warnings in place of what appeared to be what he truly should have done. Have someone, preferably McGonagall or himself, sit in on Snape's lessons to make sure that he was not biased in his work at all.

**~snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

**"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Dorea and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.~**

"They didn't do _anything_, you rotten old snake!" James hissed, his face contorted in rage. To Dorea, it looked like he was contemplating murder. Then again, knowing him, he was probably figuring out where he could hide the body where no one would discover it.

**~"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you?~**

"She was watching her own bloody potion, you arse!" Dante shouted, glaring at the man in question. The misfits stared at Dante in shock - he never spoke out against an adult! Behind their back, yeah, but to their face? Never!

**~That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."~**

Dumbledore stood.

"All the points Severus Snape has unjustly taken from any of the four Houses shall be returned_ this instant_." he bellowed. All eyes turned to the hourglasses by the door. The jaws of all the adults in the Hall dropped as they saw that the Ravenclaw hourglass gained a couple hundred points, the Hufflepuff hourglass gained almost a thousand points, while the Gryffindor hourglass was overflowing, having gained around 2000 points. Bill's eyes narrowed.

"So it was because of Snape that the Slytherins won the House Cup for 6 years in a row?" he muttered, upset at the idea. That was just completely unfair towards the students that had already graduated, knowing that Slytherin won because of that man's bias. Dumbledore turned his gaze back to the Potions professor.

"Severus, from this day forward you are unable to award or take away points. Detentions will have to approved by the child's Head of House. I'm sorry, Severus, but you have forced my hand." With that, Dumbledore sat back down and Snape continued reading, his teeth gritted and eyes blazing. Stupid Potter was getting special treatment, and now he was being punished for righteousness. Well, revenge really, but what was really the difference?

**~This was so unfair that Dorea opened her mouth to argue, but Ron kicked her in the shins behind their cauldron.**

**"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."~**

Every Gryffindor that was taught by Snape nodded in agreement to that statement.

**~As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Dorea's mind was racing and her spirits were low. She'd lost two points for Gryffindor in her very first week -~**

McGonagall looked confused. Did people really take the Point System that seriously? It was just a way to teach students that each action has a reaction, and that you need to watch what you do. Her mind raced back through that year, and her heart nearly stopped. _Oh Merlin, when she overreacted and took 150 points from Gryffindor - Hermione mentioning ostracizing - the students couldn't have - did anyone even **notice** if it it did?_

**~ but why did Snape hate her so much?~**

"One, that's more points than these three," Lily pointed at the Marauders. "Earned in their first month, and second, Snivellus is a bitter man who hates you because your father pulled pranks on him during our Hogwarts days." Lily answered. Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"So he hates me for something I don't even have a _say_ in?" she asked. Lily nodded, her face grim. After the Imperio moment this morning, any chances of her forgiving Severus were gone. He had used up his chances, and if she ever found out that he hurt someone she cared about and laughed about it, he was dead.

**~"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George.~**

"Glad to be of service before our first prank of the year!" the Twins said, taking a flamboyant bow. Molly's eyes narrowed at the two, they really should get their acts together, no one will hire them if they keep this up...

**~Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"**

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.~**

"Uh, why do you have a crossbow?" asked Michaela, eying the half-giant nervously in case she accidentally angered him. Hagrid smiled.

"It's fer when I go into the forest. There are dangerous creatures in there, but if yeh stay on the paths yer safe enough. Safer wi' me or Fang," Dorea and Ron snorted quite loudly at that - Fang was a bloody coward. "Though."

**~When Dorea knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."~**

"Look out for the pets that don't have scary names - they're the ones that are really dangerous." Dorea said, thinking back to Norbert, Aragog, Fluffy...

**~Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.**

**"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.**

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.~**

"That does sound really homie." Dan smiled. Every person who had been in that hut to visit Hagrid smiled back at him.

"It really is." they replied. If Umbridge were awake, she would have snorted and rolled her eyes, thinking something along the lines of a half-breed like Hagrid never having a homie place to live. As it was, Amelia was planning to keep Umbridge unconscious until the Stunner wore off.

**~"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.~**

"The ones with scarier names never are." Charlie said fondly, thinking back to Norberta and then Fang. He loved Norberta, but he really did miss that lovable boarhound.

**~"This is Ron," Dorea introduced her friend Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.**

**"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.~**

Charlie and Bill looked down - so _that_ was why Ron had such an inferiority complex...

**~"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."~**

"_Hey_! What about us/me?" the Marauders and Charlie shouted, making everyone laugh. Molly stared at Charlie in shock - when did this happen? Bill grinned at his younger brother.

"Yeah, weren't you always trying to make friendly with the dangerous creatures in there?" he asked. Charlie huffed.

"Oh shut it..." he replied. Michaela smiled up at him.

"So what kind creatures are in the forest?" she asked, taking his mind off what Bill said. Charlie smiled down at her and started animatedly talking about the creatures that he had learned that lived in the Forest, Michaela smiling and giving him her full attention. Molly looked on, eyes narrowed. She didn't like Michaela, because of how she dressed, acted, the way she seemed to by trying to steal her son away from her...

**~The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Dorea and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Dorea's knee and drooled all over her robes.~**

"You two were really obvious 'bout that." Hagrid chuckled. Dorea and Ron looked shocked.

"And yet you made us take some back to the castle with us?" they asked at the same time. Hagrid grinned.

"What? Yer reactions were funny." he grinned. The two in question sat back on their seat, in Dorea's case Bill. Holy shit, they had been played by the lovable half-giant who couldn't lie for his life for the past 4 years...

**~Dorea and Ron were absolutely delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."~**

Hagrid instantly received a standing ovation for his wording. Snape growled and read over everyone, making them sit down and shut up, though many of them did glare at the man for being so impolite.

**~"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce hero Fang sometime.~**

"No offence, Hagrid, but the dustball there would win. Fang's a coward." Charlie said sympathetically. Hagrid chuckled.

"He hates Norris more than I do, I don' think he'd been runnin' from that fight."

**~D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Filch puts her up to it."~**

Filch nodded his head, he never trusted that bumbling oaf...

**~Dorea told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Dorea not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.~**

"That aren't in slytherin." Theo commented, making everyone who had ever been taught by Snape nod in agreement.

**~"But he seemed to really hate me."**

**"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"**

**Yet Dorea couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet her eyes when he said that.~**

"'Cause I knew he hated yer dad, Dorea."

**~"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot great with animals."**

**Dorea wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Dorea picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:**

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**_

_**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**_

_**"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.**_

**Dorea remembered Ron telling her on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

**"Hagrid!" said Dorea, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"~**

Jaws dropped at the realization.

**~There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Dorea's eyes this time. He grunted and offered her another rock cake. Dorea read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package.**

**Had that been what the thieves were looking for?~**

McGonagall groaned.

"And I wondered how Lily Evans and James Potter's daughter found out about it..." she muttered, facepalming. When Snape read the part about Dorea wondering if the package was what was the treasure the thief attempted to steal was, a letter floated down to Dumbledore from a flash of gold light. Recognizing the parchment as the same type that those three strangers used to send the messages two days ago, he opened it and read it quickly. A small smile crossed his face - so more guests are coming, are they? And they'd be here at 3, so wait until then to begin the next chapter...

Dumbledore stood and quickly explained what the letter said, making everyone look at the snow-white parchment in his hand. So those three could invite anybody they wanted, huh? It was only a matter of time before they found out who was coming.

**~As Dorea and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Dorea thought that none of the lessons she'd had so far had given her as much to think about as tea with Hagrid.~**

"I understood all the lessons except Potions, that weekend I went into the library and read a book about ingredient preparation to understand why Neville's cauldron melted." Dorea explained, seeing Hermione's curious glance. Her brunette friend smiled at her - so that was why she occasionally found Dorea in the library before they became close friends, she was looking up things she was curious about.

**~Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Dorea?~**

Snape put up a Shield as he closed the book, and just on time, as Sirius sent him a couple of nasty curses and hexes. Dumbledore rolled his eyes and looked at his watch - it was only 2:06. They had 54 minutes to waste before they could begin to read the next chapter. So what were they going to do in that time spand?

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 9,682**

**Oh wow, this one is _really_ short... Then again, Snape is supposed to be pissed and wants the chapter as soon as possible, so the shortness is reasonable... Time break and skip next chapter, then we find out who the Next Generation Potters invited! And a little spoiler -_ Lily and Molly are disappointed, while the Marauders and both sets of Twins are proud._**

**I... I don't think you all realize how hard I laughed when I realized that I made Sirius think about using hand puppets to teach history. Hand puppets! If anyone plans to flame, my reasoning is simple - Sirius is a child at heart, and will always be one. So hand puppets are a must for him.**

**Review Count: 117**

**7 more than I hoped for! I love you guys so much!**

**Review Goal: 130**

**I know you can do it, guys! Remember, I really love long reviews I can have discussion with you guys about!**

******V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

******SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, GUYS!**


	10. Book 1: Chapter 9

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**I'd like to reassure all my readers that I intend to finish the series here, and have no intentions on abandoning this story. I already know how this fic will end, so there is really no point in giving up on it after such wonderful encouragements, no?**

**Side note: Now, whenever I hear Hawk Eyes, I think Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk from One Piece. Does anyone understand what I'm talking about here?**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: I feel so complimented that you dropped your essay to read my work. I don't really think it's the best I could do, but it is good... Or so I'm constantly told... Fleur is PLANNING to make her move. Some of the guests that are coming this chapter will put a damper on her plans, bigtime. Meaning that some of them are people she doesn't want to look bad in front of. Dorea already realizes her feelings but is just really shy about them, while Bill is totally confused as to why he's feeling the way he does towards Dorea. Total mind vs heart for him. In the idea: yes. My idea of the whole thing is the castle didn't want to reveal it to him, but was forced to leave him clues to find it, which he did in his fifth year. I think it's funny - it took Riddle 5 years to find out where the Chamber was and how to find it, while it only took Dorea/Harry one, and most of that year s/he wasn't focused on finding the Chamber itself, more the Heir that was attacking students. Well, come on, Sirius has dog-like tendencies and he hates Mrs. Norris... What dog wouldn't want to bite her, anyway? But yeah, she's gonna taste the way she looks - dusty and old. History is Sirius' forte because it's the only class that he's extremely interested in - he was the Heir of the House of Black before he was disowned, so magical history would have a huge impact on his life and how he made his decisions. And honestly, do you see Binns teaching anything other than Pureblood history and Goblin Wars, which have to do with Pureblood history? He was more loyal, observant, and less jealous because while he didn't like Hermione, that was because she was a know-it-all boss back then. He disapproves of Dorea hiding her achievements in class because of the way he was brought up, with Molly nagging the Twins for everything while praising her sons that did well in school. So he doesn't get jealous when it's school-involved, but when it comes to the tournament he thinks that Dorea, having performed a corporal Patronus multiple times already, was able to Confund the Goblet and join. As such, his jealousy is explanitory there. Molly will only accept it when she sees how well the Twins are doing in the prank business, but she won't ever approve of it. Yep, I guess he did. He should be thankful for Kingsley's selection in that sense - but he needs to watch his back constantly now, otherwise who knows what will happen... Theo was alright with them because he's much less biased than Malfoy is, and because he has a minor crush(at the moment) on someone in the Circle. Not telling who it is yet, though! Uuuuuh... All the guests are from THIS generation... Sorry if I didn't make it clear in the first chapter, but the three strangers that are bringing people to read the books ARE Dorea and Bill's kids: James Sirius Potter(tallest), Albus Arthur Potter(middle), and Lily Luna Potter(shortest).**

**bloomskyrules: Well, she'll TRY to give it to him... No promises on whether or not she succeeds. I'm still figuring out what's gonna happen at that point - shit will go down, though, and Dorea and Fleur will be in the middle of it. Oh trust me, Hediwg will attack Fleur at least once in the Hall, if not multiple times. Well, she can't really interfer with Bill and Fleur, now can she? So yes, she will instead make fun of Michaela and let Michaela be the center of Ginny's frustrations instead of Fleur. I respect what Snape did for the Light in the end, like giving Harry the Sword when he could have hidden it in his Vault at Gringotts instead, but I still hate him. No, sorry, James Sirius won't be coming - I guess I really didn't make it too clear on who the three strangers were, did I? The three strangers are Dorea and Bill's children, so no, they won't be guests.**

**917brat: Why thank you, thank you very much. No, Fleur will not be successful in winning over Bill, remember, this is a femHarry/Bill story, with Fleur bashing. So yeah - Fleur will not succeed in her goals. Uuuuh... Did I say three people? I don't think I said three people. *checks* I never said three people... Did everyone honestly forget that this chapter is the Midnight Duel? I mean, come on! Lily and Moly would be disappointed just by the title! I'm updating as quickly as I can - my internet connection sucks these past few days.**

**MistBlade8: Don't worry, I plan on it being longer too. And I never said that Fleur was full Veela, just that she had access to Veela magic. And it will be explained why Sierra doesn't seem to attract men to her soon in the chapter. Remember, her mother is a Veela and she was home schooled Yes, Sierra is stronger than Fleur is because of that fact. Veela powers are pretty much their Aura and their bonding magic - they can allure any man they want, depending on their control even men who haven't yet started a relationship with their Soul mates and once they manage to get them into bed, they can control that man through their emotions. As to why she doesn't have every man drooling over her, that's a special ability of the Irish Veela that's passed down to every 10th generation, where they can suppress the affects that another Veela's Aura has on people. Sierra's using it so they can actually read the books and not have every single man staring at Fleur instead.**

**rowanlyn-mirrim: Yes, but as it says in the books, Snape fought back just as the Marauders did, even though he was outnumbered 4 to 1. And I'm sure that Snape had his fair share of assaults on the Marauders as well, so technically the two groups are even, but Snape not only allowed Voldemort to kill James out of a grudge, but he attempted to get Sirius Kissed when he knew the man was innocent and wanted Remus to get executed for being a dangerous creature. MacNair, an executioner for the Ministry, was in the castle, and Snape purposely left the Wolfsbane potion in Remus' office on the night of the full moon. Coincidence? I THINK NOT! I don't mind if you can't spell well, btw, 'cause I can still understand what you mean and everything. Slughorn was probably the one to assign who was a prefect with Dumbledore's permisson(that's how I imagine it, after all If it's wrong, this is an AU story, so it's right anyway), and probably would've picked someone much more charismatic and appealing to his Slug Club tastes. And I don't mind that point at all, but you need to remember that at the time Voldemort was in power, and many people were suspicious towards the Slytherins even before Voldemort gained followers. I love my femHarry name too - there's one femHarry story I'm reading where she's named Ariella, but everyone thinks her name is Harriet because Hagrid calls her Ari(her nickname), when they think he meant to say Harri. He does drop his 'H's, so the confusion was self explanatory Then again, it is a Dumbledore and Weasel(meaning Ron) bashing fic, so yeah... And point out whatever you'd like, myself and AddaBlack94 have PM conversations where we discuss many different topics of HP, mainly those we find incosistant or things that we don't like. Ginny/Ron/Molly/Hermione/Dumbledore bashings are both a favourite topic of ours, so PM me if you want to talk about that sort of stuff!**

**mercuryfire: I can't wait to write that scene - I'm thinking about making Dorea faint when she finds out just how rich she is. And trust me - she's gonna give a ton of money to the Weasleys, no returns available. And I appreciate that you appreciate my effort - coming up with a bunch of different ideas for this story is actually pretty difficult! I've got an idea, but I'm not sure how people would react to it - a group of people performing the Time Warp for Halloween? Bill would be Rif Raf, Dorea would be Magenta, Michaela would be Columbia, and Charlie would be that professor guys that goes "It's just a jump to the left". Sound good? Muggleborns and muggle-raised would be the backup dancers.**

**Lady Leaf8: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the story so far! And thank you for that opinion! I'm sure there are better Characters Read the Books fanfics out there, but I have to admit, mine is one of the better written ones, basing it off of what I've already read. Oh wow... *blushes* I've never been worshipped before... I really don't know how to act on that... Excellent points all around on why these types of stories can easily be judged as harder to write. And people wonder why it takes forever to type out an intermission? Thanks for the kudos! I think the prankster reactions to Filch being in the Trophy Room is better, though...**

**~O~O~O~ At 2:54 pm ~O~O~O~**

Ron slammed his head against the table in front of him.

"Remind me to never play poker with you girls again." he groaned, looking up. Dorea, Hermione, Ginny, Lily, and surprisingly Molly, had giant piles of different sorts of junk food in front of them, ranging from completely muggle to completely magical. Bill was munching on the food he had folded on, just enough to be a small snack for a Weasley. Charlie was staring at his small pile dejectedly - Michaela had stolen half of it after he had folded it and ate it as quickly as she could. Fred and George were staring at the girls in shock - they had run out of candy, so they had started to bet up some of the prank material they had on hand. Their mother hadn't been happy about that, but Lily happily won them and tested them on the Marauders. After seeing the pranks in person, Theo, who had lost horribly due to his lack of knowledge of the card game and how it worked, offered to invest in their pranks. The twins accepted happily, much to Molly's displeasure. She didn't want people to get the twins' hopes up, she knew that the prank business wouldn't last long at all. Ginny smiled at her older brother, happily munching on a chocolate frog she had just won from him.

"Well, girls just rock like that. Don't we?" she asked. All the girls who had been in Gryffindor nodded, each a smirk on their face. Bill leaned down to talk to Dorea.

"You lied to me about those Girls Nights, didn't you?" he asked. Dorea sent him a strange glance, one that was a mix of shock, panic, and terror.

"Keep quiet that I spilled about that. If the rest of the House finds out that I told someone that never participated in them before, they might kill me." she murmured back. Bill's eyes widened comically before he nodded, miming zipping his lips up and handed Dorea the key. She smiled up at him and hid the imaginary key in her cleavage, making all the males who saw that blush wildly and all the females who had seen it laugh hysterically. Dorea smiled angelically while bill swatted her head, muttering something about dirty minded girls. At this moment Dumbledore stood up, watching his pocket watch. Only a few dozen seconds until the guests were to arrive, if the three strangers' note was directly on the mark. He watched the door, counting down as he heard loud noises coming from outside. By the sounds of it, someone tripped over something in the Entrance Hall - what they could have tripped over blew Dumbledore's mind, the Entrance Hall was flat marble. The doors to the Great Hall slammed open at 3 pm, not a second sooner, not a second late. Dumbledore nodded slightly, so the strangers were extremely punctual in their planning.

Walking through the doors was Oliver Wood, the Bulgarian Quidditch team of Dimitrov, Ivanova, Levski, Vulchanov, Volkov, and Zograf, Gabrielle Delacour with who appeared to be her parents, a young cuople with either silver or white hair, and a man and a woman that were clearly non-humans. Umbridge, who had awakened half an hour ago and placed under arrest, sneered at the last two. Michaela literally popped over to the elderly pair, squeezing them both in a death hug.

"Weknul!(Grandfather!) Weknal!(Grandmother!) I missed you!" she said, grinning happily at the both of them. Dorea was able to see the resemblance of the two adults and Michaela. Were these here grandparents, the High Elves? The elderly man smiled and kissed Michaela's forehead, whispering something in her ear. The woman, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes when she looked at Michaela's bare collar bone.

"Why do you hide our clan mark, wekna(granddaughter)? Are you shameful of our heritage?" she muttered, rubbing the concealer off the mark. Michaela couldn't meet the woman's eyes, instead she looked at her feet.

"Orainna, weknal...(Sorry, grandmother...)" she whispered. The woman smiled and hugged Michaela once the concealer was gone, revealing what appeared to be a black dragon curled around a crimson staff. The three walked back to the Circle just as Fred and George ran over to Oliver and tackled him.

"OLLIE POP, WE MISSED YOU!" they screamed, making Oliver flush as everyone else in the Hall laughed at the nickname. Dorea, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie all joined in the group hug, Dorea someone ending up in between Fred and Oliver. Oliver pulled Dorea into a headlock, giving her a noogie.

"And how's my favourite Seeker?" he asked. James' head shot over to Dorea.

"You play _Seeker_?" he asked, eyeing her. She did have the stature to play. Oliver looked at James and Lily curiously.

"Who're you two?" he asked, not seeing Cedric at the Staff Table. James grinned wickedly.

"The Temporarily Resurrected James and Lily Potter." he stated. Everyone froze and looked at him, completely stunned. Oliver cleaned out his ears, then clapped them a couple of times.

"I'm sorry, did I just hear you right? I could have sworn that you said you were the Temporarily Resurrected James and Lily Potter." he clarified. James shrugged and pointed to Cedric.

"If you don't believe me then just look at him." he said. Oliver's eyes turned to Cedric, and he paled drastically. Viktor was ushering his teammates to the Circle, whispering in hushed Bulgarian what happened and what they were doing. On the other hand, Fleur greeted her parents and younger sister as they sat near her, Dante joining in on explaining what was going on and what had already happened in fluent french, much to Fleur's annoyance. The meaning of James' words finally caught up to Oliver, and he did the only thing he could do in that situation.

He passed out.

**~O~**

"Ollie Pop. Ooollie Pop. Ollie Pop! Wakie wakie, Ollie Pop!" Oliver swatted away the hand that was poking his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes to see the 6 members of the old Gryffindor Quidditch team looking at him in worry. He groaned and held his head, feeling the goose-egg on the back of it where his head connected with the floor.

"I thought I told you guys that whenever one of us passes out, it's the obligation of the others to catch them before they can hit their head." he whined, making the faces above him smile at him. Dorea hugged her knees to her chest.

"Glad to see you haven't changed at all, Capt'n!" she chirped. Oliver held up his hand, the Weasley twins taking it and yanking him up. Oliver was forced to take a step forward to keep himself from falling over because of the amount of force that the twins used. The two of them wrapped arms around Oliver's shoulders, guiding him to the expanded Circle to fit all the guests. Oliver recognized Charlie Weasley, and with a grin sat next to him and the pair started talking about, surprise surprise, Quidditch. Snape cleared his throat, holding up Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

"Would anyone like to read this... Book." Snape said, catching himself before he called it trash. The woman with white hair raised her hand. Snape levitated the book over to her, and before she could open it, Dumbledore stood up to introduce the woman and the silver haired man.

"These two guests are Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel As to why they have been invited, it will make itself clear by the end of the first book." he said, everyone gawking at the two. Neither looked a day over 30! Perenelle opened the book to the next chapter, the previous ones having been explained to her thanks to Albus, and began to read.

**~CHAPTER NINE - THE MIDNIGHT DUEL~** she read. Lily and Molly's heads snapped to Dorea, who was sitting in between her mother and Bill. McGonagall's eyes narrowed. What duel? Filch glared at Dorea Potter. He had been so close to busting her, if only it hadn't been for Peeves he could have caught her... Stupid girl, being friends with the ghosts in the school...

**~Dorea had never believed she would ever meet a boy she hated more than Dudley, but that was before she met Draco Malfoy.~**

Dudley blushed as Petunia, Vernon, and Marge were screaming at Dorea, no sound coming from their mouths. He mentally thanked Professor Dumbledore for silencing them before turning his thoughts back to his childhood. He had been absolutely horrible to Dorea, and he could see that now.

Malfoy huffed in annoyance at the book. As if he could possibly be worse than that tub of a muggle. It was impossible, he was a wizard, and that muggle was a, well, _muggle_.

**~Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday -~**

James and Sirius looked excited at the prospect of hearing about Dorea's flying lesson, but Dorea held up her hand to stop them before they could start talking to her about it. She had been assuming that they would ask why she would groan about learning how to fly, and she was partially right about that, they were going to ask about that.

"Wait for it."

**~and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.~**

"_Oooh_. We understand now." the two said, mimicking the Weasley and Prewitt twins. Said twins nodded in agreement - that just sucked for Dorea. Nicholas looked at Dumbledore questionably.

"Why are the Slytherins and Gryffindors attending some of the most dangerous classes together?" he asked. Dumbledore shrugged.

"We arrange the classes based on who wishes to attend what, generally, and which timetables fit together. It all depends on who will be taking which elective that year." he explained, making all who heard nod in understanding. It actually made sense, when they thought about it. If all the Slytherins took the same classes that year, then it would completely change how the scheduling would work around it, due to most class schedules being based around who took what class. Usually most students that took Divination didn't take either Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, and as such they were generally at the same time for most years.

**~"Typical," said Dorea darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."~**

"You did anything but, Potter." Daphne said, deciding to leave Parkinson's whining and joining Theo in the Circle. She was now sitting in between Madam Delacour and Theo, who sat in between her and Fred Weasley. Theo smiled at her, understanding her reasoning for leaving, because the same reason he left. Parkinson and Malfoy were driving them crazy. Astoria quickly followed her older sister, choosing to sit in between Monsieur Delacour and Remus Lupin.

**~She had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.~**

"You were amazing on the training broom that Siri here got you for your first birthday, knocked over a hideous vase Petunia given us as a wedding gift and near killed you mother's cat." James commented, grinning at the memories. His eyes glazed over slightly as the memories of a baby Dorea jumping off her broom to hug either himself, Remus, Sirius, or Bill. She had been such a happy baby... Lily chuckled.

"Most definitely your father's daughter." she said, shaking her head. Sirius grinned at her.

"I never heard you complaining about the muscles that flying gave James, or the stami-" Dorea clapped her hands over her ears, screaming about how she didn't want to hear it. Once again, Bill covered her mouth with his hand so Perenelle could read. Dorea didn't lick his hand this time, though. She was too busy blushing because Bill's hand was on her waist.

**~"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."~**

"He can be good when he focuses on the match, but he is mainly talk." Hermione commented. She may not like to play Quidditch, as she didn't like participating in sports, but she did enjoy watching matches, and she could spy talent when she saw it.

**~Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.~**

"Do you even know what a helicopter is?" Blaise asked. He only knew because Tracey's mother had taught them the basics of the muggle world so they could understand what muggleborns were talking about. Malfoy blushed a little and looked at the ceiling.

"They're those giant contraptions that can hold about 100 muggles, right?" he asked, refusing to look at anyone. His blush deepened as those with at least basic knowledge of the muggle world snickered, the Weasleys included. Ginny grinned at him.

"You're thinking about aeroplanes, Malfoy." she grinned, more than happy to one-up the Malfoy Heir. The snickers increased as Nicholas and Perenelle joined in the mix, having known several muggle inventors over the past few centuries. He had been friends with Leonardo Da Vinci, after all.

**~He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick.~**

"That's believable." Lily nodded. Stories like that had been common in the Gryffindor Girls Nights before flying class.

**~Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.~**

"THAT WAS _YOU_?" Molly and Fred shouted, Molly looking shocked and Fred looking pissed off.

"YOU DID _WHAT_ WITH MY BROOM?" Charlie shrieked, sounding like the male version of his mother. Ron scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I didn't crash it, and besides, it was way easier to pin on Fred. Sniffle a little, act upset, and make big puppy dog eyes and mum's a sucker." Ron snickered, grinning at Percy, who had taught him and Ginny that little bit of information. Molly sank into her seat, shocked that something she had fully believed Fred to have done was really done by Ron. _Was she so predictable that her children automatically blamed either twin, and they knew she would believe them?_ Molly felt so guilty that the thought - she really should apologize to the twins for how she's treated them over the years.

**~Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared a dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly.~**

"It's all about teamwork, and it's a lot of fun. Less exciting to watch, though." Sierra commented, remembering her primary days when they would play soccer in the school yard using six trees as their field. Four of the six trees were used as goals, and because they were so wide each team had about 3-6 goalies in their net. Michaela nodded in agreement, she and Sierra were always goalies back then. The games had been so much fun, too. Almost everyone would play, meaning there was around thirty children per team. It had always been utter chaos, and at the end of recess they always said the last goal would win the match. That said so much about how they played games as children, they didn't care about the score, only who won.

**~When Dorea had once visited the boys dormitories,~**

"Wait, _what_?" Bill asked, confused. "Girls can enter the boys dormitory?" McGonagall slammed her head against the table - _now_ how was she going to keep the couples in her House from going to bed together?

"That was kept a secret to prevent students from performing scandalous activities." she groaned. Dorea snickered.

"That doesn't stop some, they just shag in broom cupboards instead." she explained, much to the professors' horror and everyone else's amusement.

**~she had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.~**

Muggleborns snorted at the actions. They knew that muggle pictures would never move, it wasn't how they were made. That was videos, and even those weren't as good as wizarding photos.

**~Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Dorea felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.~**

"I won't even try to deny it." Neville said, chuckling. "I am a total klutz." Tonks grinned widely at him.

"Join the Klutz Club!" she bellowed, spreading her arms out wide. Neville grinned and raised his fist.

"We will take over the world, one trip at a time!" he cheered, making everyone laugh at his comment. As if Neville could take over the world, no matter how much help he had. He was too kind hearted.

**~Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book - not that she hadn't tried.~**

"We love you, 'Mione, but you really need to calm down about that sort of stuff. It's like practical magic, the more you practice the better you get." Dorea commented, Bill having removed the hand from her mouth under promise she wouldn't start screaming like she had been again. Oliver nodded in agreement, Dorea had been an amazing Seeker with barely any training, and the more she practised the better she had gotten. She even developed her own trademark move - the Dorea Dive. A move where you pull out of a Wronksi Feint, stand up to do Surfing, then launch yourself off your broom to catch the Snitch. So far, only Dorea was able to do it, though Oliver had been trying to teach the Puddlemore United Seeker, Jessica Gedrick, how to do it. So far, no luck.

**~At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called _Quidditch Through the Ages_.~**

Every Quidditch fan cheered for the book. The only book half of them would willingly read, and it was one of the best in the world. In their opinions, at least.

**~Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. Dorea hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course.~**

"Of course he noticed, he practically stalked you that year!" Blaise snorted, making Dorea nearly snap her neck to stare at him in shock.

"He practically _what_ me now?" she asked, thinking back._ That would explain how he found out about Norbert, actually..._

**~Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.~**

James winced - that's what he would do during his first year, though most of the time he opened it like that so Lily could see how willing he was to share his sweets with his friends. Oh Merlin, he had been absolutely _horrible_ as a child...

**~A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.~**

"Oh wow, a Rememberall. Those are expensive but useless." Sirius said, eyes narrowing as he remembered the first time he had seen one. Peter had gotten one in his first year, too, only his was from his mother. Poor Alice and Frank... "They don't bother telling you what you've forgotten." Neville nodded in agreement with that statement, he had forgotten the password to get into the Common Room, and because of that he had been in the hallway until Dorea, Ron, and Hermione had come out in order to go to the duel Dorea had with Malfoy.

**~"It's a Rememberall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh " His face fell, because the Rememberall had suddenly glowed scarlet, " you've forgotten something "~**

"Professor Flitwick, is there a way we could work together and possibly figure out a way to make it show clues as to what that person's forgotten? Perhaps then Rememberalls will be more useful." Lily commented. Flitwick nodded, smiling. Anything to spend more time with his favourite pupil in all his teaching days. Anything.

**~Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Rememberall out of his hand.~**

"What were you even doing by the Gryffindor table, anyway?" Astoria asked, glaring over at the Malfoy Heir. Malfoy refused to look at the brunette - in truth, he had been over there in an attempt to make an impression on Dorea. Blood Feuds could be disbanded through marriage, which he had been hoping to arrange with Dorea. She was powerful, beautiful, smart, and cheeky - almost everything a pureblood wanted in a bride. Now he could only hope that he was Dorea's Soul mate.

**~Dorea and Ron jumped to their feet to defend their friend. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.~**

"I learned quickly after I took the teaching post, you have no idea how many trouble makers Gryffindor has had in the past 40 years." McGonagall quickly explained. She then pointed to the remained Marauders. "They gave me the biggest run for my money, James alone can give the Weasley Twins a run for their money." she claimed. The twins 'psssh'ed and pointed to Dorea.

"She can give us and the Marauders runs for our money." James, Sirius, and Remus all stared at Dorea in pride at the claim, while everyone who knew the Marauders stared at her in shock. She could give all of them a run for their money? How was that possible?

"Then again-"

"-We did-"

"-Teach her-"

"-The basics-"

"-Of pranking."

**~"What's going on?"**

**"Malfoy's got my Rememberall, Professor."**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Rememberall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.~**

"Aw, poor baby Malfoy's plan fell to splinters, didn't it?" Tonks cooed mockingly, smirking at her younger cousin. She changed her hair to the same white-blond colour that his was, and lengthened it to end around her hips. Dorea could suddenly see the resemblance between them, and wondered how closely related the two were.

**~At three-thirty that afternoon, Dorea, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.~**

The Quidditch players all drooled.

"Perfect flying conditions..." James muttered, a drop of drool actually falling onto his knee. Lily sent him a look of disgust before turning her eyes to Dorea, who was nearly drooling as much as her father.

"Flying..." she moaned, a smile on her face. Lily shook her head - only Dorea and James could be this obsessed with flying. She swore that it must be in the Potter genetics for them to be insane about flying and Quidditch.

**~Dorea had pulled her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face while she flew.~**

All female Quidditch players nodded in agreement, visibility while flying was key. Angelina was so happy that Dorea got rid of her glasses, it would help so much when they played in storms now.

**~The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Dorea had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.~**

"They _do_." Angelina groaned, having gotten that broom for her first flying lesson.

**~Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.~**

"Not surprising, as her Animagus form is a hawk." Hermione stated, having looked up the Registered British Animagus list during their third year. James looked interested.

"Is she _really_?" he asked, genuinely interested in who was an Animagus, seeing as how he was originally an Animagus when he was alive. Hermione nodded enthusiastically, happy when she saw James' grin. Her happiness turned to worry when she saw his grin - he wouldn't attempt to prank Madam Hooch based off her AAnimagus form now, would he? Hermione felt like slapping herself. Of course he would, he was James effing Potter! He was Prongs of the Marauders!

**~"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." Dorea glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.~**

Every Quidditch player in the room winced, especially Dorea. She had gotten one of the brooms that, while could be controlled, was in worse condition than most other ones. Dorea grinned at everyone.

"You need to remember that for later." Ron called out, every Gryffindor that was there that day cheering in agreement. Several of the Slytherins that were there cheered as well, it wasn't every day you saw someone pulled out of a dive mere inches from the ground, on that sort of broom, unharmed, during their first time flying.

**~"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"**

**"UP!" everyone shouted. Dorea's broom jumped into his hand at once,~**

"Impressive, that. Most school brooms need more than one command for it to get through." Remus said, nodding at Dorea. She certainly had James' skill when it came to flying, but was she a natural or not was the question he wanted to ask.

**~but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all.**

**Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Dorea; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.~**

"Magic is all about intent, if you want to stay on the ground when you are told to fly like that, then the broom won't answer to your commands, no matter how hard you try." Luna said dreamily. Gabrielle looked interested at the odd Ravenclaw, she looked like she had been visited by the Fae recently. Dumbledore smiled at Luna.

"Very nice explanation, Miss Lovegood. 10 points to Ravenclaw."

**~Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Dorea and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.~**

"The grip depend on the person, that might have been the right grip for him." Viktor stated, his teammates nodding in agreement. Once a Quidditch player found their personal grip, their game improved tenfold. No one really understood why, but it was theorized that the grip made the flyer more comfortable on the broom, therefore they would play better.

**~"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"**

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.~

Fleur giggled at Neville - what an idiot!

Monsier Delacour sent his daughter a disappointed look - he and his wife had tried _everything_ they could to keep Fleur from turning into the way she was, they really did, but no matter their efforts Fleur ended up like this in the end. Though that might be because Madam Maxine favoured Fleur greatly and spoiled her at school. Monsier Delacour was only glad that Gabrielle had Dorea Potter as a role model rather than just Fleur.

**~"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle twelve feet twenty feet. Dorea saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -~**

Everyone who had been in the class braced themselves for the shout.

**~WHAM-~**

Everyone who hadn't braced themselves jumped as Perenelle shouted that, surprisingly loud for over 600 years old. Seeing the glares sent her way, Perenelle huffed in annoyance.

"Honestly, it's in capitols! I _have_ to shout it!" she explained, Daphne nodding in understanding. She knew exactly what Perenelle was talking about, having read a chapter herself. It was hard not to shout at those parts in the books, just like it was hard not to read it animatedly, speaking with anger when someone in the books did, voicing the hurt, the confusion, the joy... She didn't know how, but these books brought out what her mask hid for the longest time. _Her emotions._

**~a thud and a nasty crack later, and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.~**

Those who had fallen off of their brooms before, purposely or not, winced in sympathy. Dorea, on the other hand, winced in sympathy of breaking your arm, which she had done in second year. Granted, it was Dobby's fault, but a broken bone was a broken bone, and she had broken more bones than she wanted to in her lifetime. And considering how just yesterday Mdam Pomfrey had been forced to re-break every bone that had been improperly set in order to properly heal them, she had more than her fair share of broken bones, thank you very much.

**~His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.~**

"And good riddance." came from most of the Hall, generally the Quidditch fans. Madam Hooch shook her head sadly.

"Unfortunately we need those brooms, as the Board of Governers refuses to allow new brooms." she explained. Amelia's eyes narrowed.

"By the law passed in 1439, all magical schools in Europe are required to receive a certain amount of money by the Board of Governors to the school to fund for updated materials every 10 years. Are you telling me that the Board has been _disobeying_ this law?" she asked. Madam Hooch grinned fiercely, making those with parents on the Board wince in fear of their parents. Madam Hooch looked as though she was the cat that caught the canary. She must really hate the Governors...

"That is exactly what I mean, M'Lady. May I press charges against them?" she requested. Umbridge looked as though she was about to complain, as she had many friends on the Board, but one Silencing Charm from Madam Bones later and she and Madam Hooch were planning to completely change the Wizarding World, starting with children's education. One quick discussion with Dumbledore later and they had a representative for their case to present to the Wizengamont, of which many of the Board Members were a part of.

**~Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

**"Broken wrist," Dorea heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."~**

"Bloody hell, Dorea. It's like you have the hearing of a werewolf." Tonks stated. Remus snorted into the back of his hand.

"Potters have werewolf ancestors, meaning that their stamina, speed, strength, and hearing are higher than a normal human's. It's whats aided in making Potters excellent warriors, as all those attributes are needed on the battlefield." he stated, James nodding in agreement. Umbridge looked as though she was going to be sick. Such great attributes came from having creature blood running through their veins? She'd rather not have them and be pureblooded, thank you very much.

Little did she realize that all pureblood families had children with one sort of magical creature at least once in their family history. For most families it was multiple creatures multiple times, which was key in how purebloods remained purebloods over the years.

**~She turned to the rest of the class.**

**"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."~**

Everyone that had been in that class snorted as those words were read, much to Madam Hooch's confusion. Had someone been flying that she didn't know about? If so, _who_, and _when_?

**~Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.~**

Everyone turned to glare at the Malfoy Heir, who was still staring at the ceiling. He was paying attention to the weather - partly cloudy with a mild breeze, great flying conditions. He was trying everything he could to ignore all the glares being thrown his way, not that he was succeeding with Parkinson whispering worriedly into his ear about them all.

**~"Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

**Some of the other Slytherins joined in. "Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil, one of Dorea's dormmates.~**

"Thanks, Parvati." Neville said, smiling at the girl. Parvati smiled back at him.

"Anything for a friend." she replied. Dorea glared at the ground. _So she wasn't Parvati's friend, then, huh?_

**~"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."~**

Parkinson nodded with her previous statement, making everyone in the room glare at her. To everyone' immense surprise, Neville waved his wand and hit Parkinson with the Teeth Growing Curse that Malfoy had hit Hermione with the year previously. Madam Pomfrey grudgingly walked over to the Slytherin table and stopped the girls' teeth from growing more than a centimeter, but she refused to shrink them at all. Neville happily accepted the detention he received from McGonagall, he had gotten revenge against one of his tormentors, that was enough to put him in an amazing mood that almost nothing could break.

**~"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." The Rememberall glittered in the sun as he held it up. Dorea stepped past the other Gryffindors to face the pale boy.**

**"Give that here, Malfoy," said she quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch. Malfoy smiled nastily.~**

"Can he smile any other way? Or is that how his father smiles at him?" Daphne wondered aloud, making Malfoy stare at her with betrayal and every Gryffindor in the Circle to cheer her on and congratulate her on the insult. Dumbledore stopped Snape from giving his Slytherin a detention, partially because the comment was quite possibly just thinking out loud, which everyone did from time to time, and also because he was proud of the House Unity being shown in the Circle. He could tell most of the Order Members, past and present, were nervous at the prospect of sitting with possible future Death Eaters, but they were keeping their mouths shut to keep the students happy. It was quite the heart warming sight, as it probably never would have happened without these books to break down the barriers between Houses.

**~"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"**

**"Give it here right now!" Dorea yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"**

**Dorea grabbed her broom. "_No_!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble." Dorea ignored her, preferring to defend her friend, even if he wasn't here.~**

"Technically, Miss Granger, it would only be Mister Malfoy and Miss Potter in trouble, not the rest of the class." Madam Hooch stated, making Hermione flush. She _might_ have had taken Madam Hooch's warning a little too seriously.

**~Blood was pounding in her ears. She mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up she soared; air rushed through her hair, and her robes whipped out behind her - and in a rush of fierce joy she realized she'd found something she could do without being taught - this was easy, this was wonderful.~**

"Ah, a natural." Dimitrov said in heavily accented accent, smiling happily at the memories of his first flight. It hadn't been as natural as Dorea's was described to be, but it was so freeing that he fell in love with flying the moment he took off. That was what encouraged him to join Quidditch teams, it was flying that led him to his career choice. And look at him now, playing Quidditch on the International Circuit.

**~She pulled her broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.~**

"That's what told me I was doing it right, so thanks for that." Dorea said to Ron, whose ears burned but he smiled back at his friend. Theo smiled at the two, they were practically twins with how close they were. Add in Hermione and you have triplets, the Golden Trio at its best.

**~She turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.~**

"Of course he was shocked! We all were! It was your first time on a broom, a school broom at that, but you were flying like, well, Charlie Weasley at his best!" Daphne said, her father havig taken her to see some of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin games when Charlie Weasley was playing Seeker for Gryffindor. Charlie eyed Dorea, he should have a contest with her to see who was the better Seeker. Winner plays against Krum, he decided, not consulting anyone about it. Krum would probably love the idea of being able to fly around for a competition that wasn't Quidditch.

**~"Give it here," Dorea called angrily, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

**"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.~**

"Of course I was worried, she looked like she could have done it easily!" Malfoy exclaimed, defending himself before anyone could say anything about it.

**~Dorea knew, somehow, what to do. She leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Dorea made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

**"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Dorea called out. The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.~**

"Of course it would have, he _should_ have realized that the moment he took off." Astoria stated. How Malfoy made it into Slytherin, she had no idea, as he acted more like a Gryffindor than an actual Slytherin.

**~"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground. Dorea saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall.~**

All the Seekers leaned forwards in their seats, wanting to hear about how Dorea handled this. Seeing it in slow motion was key to being a Seeker, that would be the equivalent of seeing the Snitch at see-able speeds.

**~She leaned forward and pointed her broom handle down - next second she was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in her ears, mingled with the screams of people watching - she stretched out his hand - a few inches from the ground she caught it, just barely in time to pull her broom straight, and she toppled gently onto the grass with the Rememberall clutched safely with a handful of grass in her fist.~**

The Hall was dead silent as everyone stared at Dorea. Charlie then rocketed out of his seat and swept Dorea into a hug, spinning her around.

"AND YOU DID THAT ON A _SCHOOL BROOM_?!" he shouted, beaming with pride. Both Michaela and Bill felt pangs of jealousy in their chests at the sight of their respected beloved in the arms of their brother or pseudo-sister. Michaela's grandparents exchanged looks - did Michaela already like this man? They knew she started crushes easily, but this was the first time she looked a little heartbroken upon seeing the object of her affections with a different girl. It was a strange sight, seeing that disappointment and jealousy in Michaela's eyes. She didn't get jealous easily, she would make an excellent Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff with her personality.

"Dives are her specialty. She even has her own dive named - the Dorea Dive." Oliver explained to a stunned Viktor Krum. The International Quidditch Player looked at the ex-Gryffindor Keeper in shock.

"Vhat is part of a Dorea Dive?" he asked. Oliver grinned.

"Well, it's sorta like a Wronksi Feint where you pull up about a foot above the ground, then move into Surfing," The Bulgarians paled at the mention of the Flying stunt, which was difficult to perform simply because of the aerodynamics. "And after that you launch yourself off your broom to catch the Snitch." Charlie, Viktor, and the other Bulgarians stared at Dorea in a mix of awe, shock, and horror.

"You're _nuts_!" they all cried out, making Dorea huff and sit back down, leaning her head on Bill's shoulder.

"Why does everyone say that?" she asked. Bill laughed and ruffled the ravenette's hair, Charlie sat back down near Michaela, and Perenelle continued reading through the silence that seemed to echo through the Hall.

**~"DOREA POTTER!"**

**Her heart sank even faster than she'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running towards them, her expression furious. She slowly got to her feet, heavily trembling.~**

"I just thought it was the adrenaline wearing off..." Blaise muttered, running his fingers through his hair. When they saw Dorea in the Hall at dinner, they immediately brushed off any suggestions that she had been scared of McGonagall. She had looked happy, excited, and nervous all at the same time. They never thought that she could have actually been scared...

Almost everyone who heard Blaise nodded in agreement, many of them hearing the story from the younger Slytherins about what had happened during that lesson.

**~"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -" Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously,**

**"- how dare you - might have broken your neck -"**

**"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"**

**"Be quiet, Miss Patil -"**

**"But Malfoy -"**

**"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."~**

"I should have explained where I was taking you, shouldn't I have?" she asked, making all the Gryffindors in Dorea's year nod. Seamus decided to speak up.

"We thought you were about to expel her, professor!" he said, making McGonagall flinch. She had been so excited and shocked, she hadn't known what to say at the time.

**~Dorea caught the sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinon's triumphant faces as she left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. She was about to be expelled, she just knew it.~**

Madam Hooch winced, it was because of her threat that Dorea thought like that. She never meant to terrify her students like that, she wanted to keep them from flying unsupervised.

**~She wanted to say something to defend herself, but there seemed to be something wrong with her voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at her; she had to jog to keep up. Now she'd done it. She hadn't even lasted two weeks. She'd be packing her bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when she turned up on the doorstep?~**

Dumbledore quickly cast a Sonerus at Dorea as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Get back in that cupboard, freak, and don't come out until it's time to cook dinner. Once dinner's done, clean the windows, weed the garden, paint the shed, and wash the floors. Keep your mouth shut and you might get bread crusts tonight." Dorea recited, it was the same thing she was told every year when she got home from Hogwarts. Until she had gotten to show them Sirius' letter, she spent the first week in that cupboard and doing chores, she was allowed to feed Hedwig once a day to keep her friend from dying and stinking up the house, but other than that she was expected to be either working or out of sight. Once the first week of summer passed, she was allowed to live in the bedroom again, but the same rules applied. Be working or be out of sight. If she didn't finish her chores, she would be beaten until she was almost unconscious and shoved into either her cupboard or the bedroom. Dorea closed her eyes to hide the tears - she still saw that cupboard as hers, the bedroom wasn't her's after all the years she had been living in it. She felt safe in that cupboard none of the Dursleys could really enter it, the most they ever did, if they decided that she was worth the time of day, was stick their head in there. She knew she should be claustrophobic, that it would be natural after living in a cupboard, but she wasn't. Because the Dursleys never entered her cupboard, she began to feel safe in small and empty spaces. That was why, when she felt overly stressed or helpless, she went to the smallest abandoned classroom she found in her first year, up on the seventh floor. It was the room that Baron William found her in.

Bill seemed to notice how much emotional pain Dorea was in, because her scooped her up bridal style and pulled her onto his lap, whispering comforting things to her in an attempt to calm her down. Dorea snuggled into Bill's chest - his lap wasn't a tiny room, but with his arms wrapped around her Dorea felt safe. Safer than she did in her cupboard. She knew Bill would never let anyone hurt her - she didn't know how she knew this, but she did.

The Hall was almost deadly silent as everyone took in Dorea's words - even _after_ she had been moved into Dudley's second bedroom, she had still been forced into that cupboard?

**~Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to her. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Dorea trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking her to Dumbledore. She thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps she could be Hagrid's assistant. Her stomach twisted as she imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while she stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.~**

Few people chuckled at Dorea's imagination after what she said. Dumbledore cancelled the charm as he saw Dorea open her mouth to whisper to Bill. Despite the beliefs of many, he respected the girl's privacy, and if he did invade it, it was because he was trying to protect the girl that he saw as a granddaughter. In this case, he didn't want to disturb a private conversation between Dorea and Bill, who was clearly attempting to keep Dorea calm and comfortable. Seeing as how her appointment at Gringotts was soon, he could understand why. If Dorea was emotionally disturbed at the appointment, it could turn out badly for her in the end.

**~Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

**"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?" Wood? thought Dorea, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on her?~**

McGonagall spluttered at the idea, Oliver's face growing set and pale. He glared mercilessly at the Dursleys, the only ones who could have instilled the notion that corporal punishment was allowed in the world.

"B-Beat my students! I would _never_ do such a horrid thing!" McGonagall hissed, glaring at the Dursleys. She began spewing derogatory insult after derogatory insult, threat after threat. By the time she was finished, everyone was staring at her either in shock(most of the students and professors), horror(the Dursleys and Ministry Officials), or pride(Gryffindors in their fourth year and up, including those who graduated already). McGonagall turned to Dumbledore, hissing like an angry cat. "She will _not_ be going back! Ever!" she growled out. Dumbledore sank back into his seat, cowed by the angry woman's icy glare.

"Yes Minerva." he squeaked, not able to look the younger woman in the eyes. People looked at Dumbledore curiously, he resembled a scolded child. Maybe he was as innocent as a child, too, to think family meant love and care when it came to the Dursleys.

Perenelle broke the silence by continuing her reading, sending a fuming McGonagall fearful glances from time to time.

**~But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused. "Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Dorea.~**

"Of course I was curious, I was pulled out of one of my OWL classes to talk to a first year and my Head of House." Oliver defended. Alicia leaned over and hugged the man.

"We know, and we love you all the same." she smiled, making Oliver blush. Alicia was a very attractive girl, after all.

**~"In here." Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.~**

Lily and the Marauders grinned.

"Those are either words we taught him or words he learned from Lilypad insulting us." James shouted, breaking the tension in the room and making everybody laugh.

**~"_Out_, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing.~**

Peeves cackled.

"I was watching, Peevesies was." he claimed, grinning at Dorea and Oliver as he twirled in the air. "_Wheeeeeeee_!"

**~Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two students.**

**"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker." Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.~**

"You're _bloody_ kidding me, right?" James asked, staring at his daughter in shock. "You said you weren't bad!" Oliver snorted.

"_Not bad_? She's at a bloody professional level." he said, eyeing Krum. James began stuttering and stammering at the sight of Dorea's smirk. She purposely kept him in the dark about this! "You really should play her, and I think that's why your team was brought here too. To play against the old Gryffindor Quidditch Team." he claimed, making the other 6 on the team that lasted for 3 years cheer loudly. Krum grinned at the old Keeper.

"Perhaps, if we can publicize the game." he offered. The Griffins all put their heads together, thinking about the possibilities this could give them. Even if they lost, if they managed to only lose by a margin they would still be known for almost defeating the Bulgarian team, and if they won Dorea would become the best Seeker in the world, without even being professional yet. All the Griffins nodded, accepting the terms. Dorea smiled.

"After the third book, per chance?" she asked, batting her eyes. Viktor shook his head and smiled at the younger girl, he wasn't charmed by her looks at all. Besides, he knew better than to try and steal another man's girl.

**~"Are you serious, Professor?"**

**"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The girl's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

**Dorea nodded silently. She didn't have a clue what was going on, but she didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to her legs.**

**"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."~**

"Not on that broom and only that much room to pull up." Charlie said, shaking his head. He looked over at Krum. "How about you? Could you do it?" he asked. Krum shook his head.

"Not with that broom on my first time flying." he replied. Dorea flushed and looked down as everyone sent her shocked and proud looks. She hadn't tried to be that good, it just, well, sorta happened...

**~Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

**"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.**

**"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

**"She's just the right build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Dorea and staring at her up and down. It was rather unnerving, actually, Dorea couldn't help but feel like he could see right through her clothes. "Light - speedy - we'll have to get her a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."~**

"Go for the Nimbus." Viktor and James bother said without hesitation. As the Seeker, it was important to have the fastest and most capable broom you can get your hands on because of all the sharp turns and attacks needed to be performed, not to mention all the dives that Seekers usually do.

**~"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks "~**

"Not that's I'd ever want to, really." Remus mock-whispered, making everyone who heard him nearly burst their gut laughing.

**~Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Dorea.**

**"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

**Then she suddenly smiled.**

**"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."~**

"Of course I'm proud! My Bambi is the youngest Seeker in a century!" James said, stealing Dorea from Bill and spinning her around in a circle. Once they both started to get dizzy, James sat down in the space between Lily and Bill. Lily rested her head on James shoulder, while Bill wrapped an arm around Dorea's waist so she was half on James and half on Bill.

**~"You're _joking_."**

**It was dinnertime. Dorea had just finished telling Ron what had happened when she'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.~**

"I'm impressed. You made _Ron_ forget about _food_." Bill said while the rest of the Weasleys were laughing their hearts out. Only Quidditch could possibly make Ron forget about food.

**~"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house player in about -"**

**" - a century," said Dorea, shovelling pie into her mouth. She felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."~**

"Would you seriously consider not becoming a Quidditch player until I quit?" Viktor asked, looking sincerely at Dorea. "Especially if you catch the Snitch before I do." Dorea grinned at him.

"I'm either going to be an Auror, Unspeakable, professional Speaker, or Curse Breaker." she replied, making the Bulgarian Quidditch team groan mournfully at the prospect of them never being able to win a Quidditch Tournament until after Dorea Potter would retire from being a Seeker, if that was what she actually did as a career.

**~Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Dorea.**

**"I start training next week," said Dorea. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."~**

Everyone snorted - as if secrets lasted long in Hogwarts. Little did they know the secrets that would be revealed within the next couple of months that have been kept a secret for, some of them, years now.

**~Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Dorea, and hurried over.**

**"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."~**

"I find it entertaining that our Beaters are human bludgers." Oliver snickered, the Weasley Twins standing and taking a low bow at what they considered a compliment.

**~"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year,"~**

Dorea looked at her lap. Oliver looked at her, upset by how upset she was.

"It wasn't your fault, Dorea. Don't keep blaming yourself for that." Katie nodded.

"We would never blame you for something out of your control like that." she added in, the others nodding in agreement,

**~said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Dorea, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."~**

"_Almost_ skipping? I _was_ skipping!" Oliver joked around, making the Gryffindors laugh with him, especially those on the Quidditch team that understood how obsessed Oliver was with Quidditch.

**~"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."~**

Filch and Umbridge looked up, interested.

**~"Bet it's that one behind the statue o that we found in our first week. See you."~**

"Mrs. Flamel, I don't believe you said where the passageway is." Filch said, eyeing the book greedily. Perenelle rolled her eyes.

"It's not here, obviously the people who sent these books didn't want any secrets to get around or out of the castle revealed." she stated. The Gray Lady floated up to the Staff Table.

"I have been in this castle and was one of the first magicals to attend it, and I know for a fact that Lord Gryffindor added in every passageway and shortcut in, around, or out of the castle to be used in case a battle were to take place here. Lady Hufflepuff enchanted the suits or armour to fight should Hogwarts be threatened. Lady Ravenclaw created a secret room to be used as a safe haven for any of the younger students, while Lord Slytherin brought in a creature he could control to fight enemies on the grounds. Each Founder of this castle customized this school to be ready for battle at a moment's notice, to be a safe place for all magical children to stay. By blocking off a passageway, you are preventing the Lord's wishes from coming true, and by doing so would create a threat to the castle." she stated, glaring at Umbridge and then Filch. Hogwarts as a whole didn't like either one of the two, and was aiding the Weasley Twins and the DA as best as it could.

**~Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.**

**"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

**"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Dorea coolly, cutting herself another slice of pie.~**

"A Slytherin trait, I can see why you were almost a Snake now." Daphne commented, eyeing Dorea critically. She was very different from what she expected of the Golden Girl, after all.

**~There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.~**

Astoria raised an eyebrow.

"It was obvious that if they started a fight then, they would be ostracized by the Slytherins for acting against our codes of conduct." she supplied an answer. Ron looked curiously at the Snake, only slightly uncomfortable by her appearance.

"Sn - Slytherins have a code of conduct?" he asked. Astoria nodded. Ron 'huh'ed. "We just have one rule - if you get caught, you're on your own." The Gryffindors cheered at their House Rule, the only Rule that they all obeyed to the letter.

**~"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"~**

"No. I was muggle raised, or did you forget that fact?"

**~"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm her second, who's yours?"~**

Ron covered ihs head and Susan started hitting him again for accepting a duel that wasn't even his. "Sorry, but the Blood Feud! The Blood Feud!"

**~Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

**"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Dorea looked at each other.**

**"What is a wizard's duel?" said Dorea. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

**"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the horrified look on Dorea's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."~**

"Nah, he was probably hoping you would accept it. Knowing him, he probably lied to the Prefects in order to get Slytherin against you." Theo glared, remembering how Malfoy had told the Prefects that he had been greatly insulted by Dorea and wanted to send Filch after her.

**~"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

**"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.~**

"Good plan, but it was a no contact duel, Ron." Percy said, shaking his head. Honestly, didn't Ron pay attention to Malfoy's challenge at _all_?

**~"Excuse me."**

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

**"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Dorea instead.~**

"That's rude, both of you." Michaela frowned. She didn't like it when people were intentionally rude. Unintentionally, she could deal with, but people who were rude, loud, and rowdy on purpose she felt like strangling.

**~"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying "**

**"Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

**"- and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

**"And it's really none of your business," said Dorea, narrowing her eyes. Didn't Hermione know of being polite and not intruding in no private conversations?**

**"Good-bye," said Ron. **

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Dorea thought, as she lay awake much later listening to the other girls in her dorm slowly fall asleep(Hermione had gone down to the bathroom and would be up again soon). Ron had spent all evening giving her as much advice as possible.**

**"If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."~**

"Good advice, it saved me last June." Dorea said, making Ron look at her in shock. Advice from first year saved her life against Voldemort?

**~There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Dorea felt she was pushing her luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - this was her big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. She couldn't miss it.~**

"Can't wait to beat the bully's face in? Good, neither can I." Sierra growled, her Aura control slipping a little. Madam Delacour looked at her suspiciously.

"You're part Veela, aren't you?" she asked. Sierra flushed a little and nodded.

"Half Veela, half witch." she said. She saw Dorea's questioning gaze. "My mum is an Irish Veela," Fleur, Gabrielle, and Madam Delacour all gasped at the specific nationality. "While my dad is a Squib. Because I inherited the Veela magic from my mum's side, I also inherited the witch magic from my father's side. Irish Veela have no control over their Aura, which is what allures men to Veela, until they hit the age of 14, when they gain perfect control over it during a week of being in an unconscious state. It's to make our bodies adjust to the changes, and in that time mum found out I was the 10th Veela child in her family, so I inherited the Aura Blocking powers that are specific to Irish Veela." she explained very quickly, barely pausing to breathe. Hermione, Ginny, and Dorea nodded, hearing and understanding it all. It was a teenage girl thing.

**~"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."**

**They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Dorea."**

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, coming back from the bathroom, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.**

**"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

**"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."~**

"But then he'd owl mum." Ron glared at his feet._ Stupid Howlers..._

"Then Ron would get a Howler for it." George added to Ron's statement.

"Then Ron would get teased by everyone for getting one." Fred stated, staring at his feet in disgust. He hated Howlers with a passion.

"Because mum doesn't realize the damage that Howlers really do to a child's self esteem and social status." Charlie huffed, having gotten one of the Enchanted letters when he was in his sixth year for sneaking out at night to visit his Ravenclaw girlfriend.

"Not to mention that she'd probably compare him to Charlie, Percy, or myself, resulting in more teasing and bullying." Bill added.

"Which is why ratting someone out right away is a horrible thing to do." Ginny finished, making her older brothers beam at her with pride. Molly looked confused, were Howlers really that bad? When she attended Hogwarts they were common and ignored, seeing as they had been sent for every little thing. She could still hear her mother's screeching ringing through her ears, scolding her for failing a Potions test by falling asleep halfway through it.

**~Dorea couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.~**

"I really was, wasn't I?" Hermione said sheepishly, making Ron and Dorea nod as she blushed.

**~"Come on," she said to Ron. She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.**

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.~**

Dorea laughed and dodged another book that hit her father in the forehead.

**~"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."~**

Hermione winced. She had been absolutely awful back then. James, on the other hand, looked impressed.

"Switching Spells are NEWT level, impressive to know about them in your fist year." he said, smiling at Hermione.

**~"Go away."**

**"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so "**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.~**

"So many detentions could have been avoided if she didn't do that..." the Marauders and both sets of Twins sighed, thinking back to before any of them had the map. James gave it to the Prewitt Twins, who had it confiscated by Filch, who in turn led to the Weasley Twins finding out about it.

**~"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

**"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."**

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.**

**"I'm coming with you," she said.**

**"You are not."**

**"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."~**

"He'd give you a detention without asking questions, 'Mione." Dorea said, making Hermione huff.

"I didn't think anyone could hate the students as much as he could, alright?" she asked. Dorea nodded, it was understandable. Hermione had been the type of child growing up that relied on adults to fight her battle for her, but being with Dorea had taught her that adults aren't the saints that they were when she was a child. That even though they were usually right, they were human and could be evil and wrong sometimes.

**~"You've got some nerve -" said Ron loudly.**

**"Shut up, both of you!" said Dorea sharply, glaring at the two making a ruckus. "I heard something."~**

Remus beamed.

"Like anyone with werewolf hearing, you'd make a great lookout." he stated, remembering all the times he had been helping Peter with that job because of his advanced hearing.

**~It was a sort of snuffling.**

**"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.**

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.**

**"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."~**

"Which is what you had forgotten earlier." Lily said slowly, remembering as the Rememberall turned red earlier in the chapter.

**~"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

**"How's your arm?" said Dorea.~**

"So caring." Bill cooed, kissing Dorea's forehead. He felt his heart skip a beat as Dorea smiled up at him. _Why the bloody hell do I feel like this? She's Ginny's age, it's wrong, she's my baby sister..._

**~"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."~**

"Which means she could have taken care of Malfoy's arm in a second." Neville said loudly, glaring at the boy who claimed to be seriously injured so he could be lazy.

"Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later -"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

**~Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

**"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."**

**Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies,~**

"My specialty." Ginny grinned maliciously, making Sierra and Oliver, who were sitting on either side of her, move away quickly.

**~but Dorea hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.~**

"You actually did hiss." Hermione said. Dorea's head snapped up to look at her friend.

"But there has to be a snake around for me to speak!" she exclaimed. James shrugged.

"It could be you were feeling very serpentine with how you were acting, like a snake hunting in the night." he suggested. Dorea's eyes narrowed as she thought on about that suggestion, nah, that couldn't be it...

**~They slithered along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows.~**

"Yeah, your dad is probably right." Ron nodded. Luna looked at Dorea curiously.

"You could have temporarily attracted a cerastes to you, in the muggle myths they bury themselves in the ground to hunt their prey, but in reality they turn themselves invisible to hunt. They're very loyal creatures, their able to detect different poisons and ward off evil watchers." Luna said dreamily. "They're more commonly known as Hornworms, though." The Ravenclaws blinked. Luna was right about all the attributes of a Hornworm, so maybe she wasn't so loony afterall?

**~At every turn Dorea fully expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were very lucky.~**

Moody nodded. Dorea didn't overestimate her skills, that was good. It meant she would keep on her toes when sneaking around, something that was necessary for it to be successful.

**~They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.**

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.**

**The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness.~**

"That sounds creepy yet mystical, like an elf's treasure trove." Michaela said dreamily, remembering her first Elvin heist on an enemy clan. The sight was successful and sent adrenaline through Michaela's spine, she always loved a good heist as an attempt to cut down enemy clans...

**~They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Dorea carefully took out her wand in case Malfoy leap in and started at once.~**

Everyone nodded in agreement and approval, that would be something a Malfoy would do.

**~The minutes crept by.**

**"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.~**

"He _scammed_ you." Lily hissed, angry. Malfoy should have had more honour than that, this could lead to an Honour Duel, where if Malfoy lost he would have to swear fealty to Dorea and the Potter family.

**~Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Dorea had only just raised her wand when they heard someone speak - and it most certainly wasn't Malfoy.**

**"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."~**

"RUN! GET OUT OF THERE FAST!" the pranksters who had been caught by Filch in their times stood up and began running in circles, screaming about how Dorea was doomed on her first time sneaking out. It got to the point where Lily had to freeze then non-verbally because she, and everyone else, was laughing so hard. It took Perenelle a good 5 minutes on her own to calm down enough to read.

**~It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Dorea waved madly at the other three to follow her as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.**

**"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."**

**"This way!" Dorea mouthed to the others and, petrified; they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour.~**

Everyone winced, that wouldn't turn out good.

**~The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.~**

"So _that's_ what I heard that woke me up..." Parvati muttered, making Lavender snort at her friend and grin. Only Parvati could wake up because of something like that.

**~"RUN!" Dorea all but yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following - they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead,~**

"Of course she was, we could barely keep up with her." Neville said, mock-glaring at Dorea. She smiled and shrugged.

"Werewolf genetics and youngest Seeker of the century. Combined make one hell of a fast runner." she stated calmly, indicating to Perenelle to continue reading.

**~without any idea where they were or where they were going - they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.~**

James and Remus grinned.

"Ah, Hogwarts knowledge and werewolf genetics combined make for one hell of a chase seen." they said, grinning as they remembered the times they ran from Filch, only for Peter to be caught because he was slower running than walking. How, they never figured out, but James thought it was because Peter couldn't keep up the stamina to run for more than one hallway without needing to stop and catch his breath.

**~"I think we've lost him," Dorea panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her barely damp from nervous sweat forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.~**

"Like everyone who tries to race you." Angelina glared, remembering all the times they had raced during Quidditch practice to keep in shape. Dorea would barely be breathing heavy while the rest of them were either winded or dying trying to catch up to her.

**~"I - told - you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I - _told_ - you."~**

"Now's not the time, Hermione." Bill said. Perenelle spared him one glance amused and grinned.

**~"Now's really not the time for that, Hermione." Dorea stated, looking up and down the hallway in case Filch were to pop out of some secret passageway.~**

Fred wolf whistled as the Dorea and Bill both blushed, everyone else snickering at the two of them. At the Gryffindor table, a betting pool was being made as to when Dorea and Bill would be getting together. So far, Seamus bet by the end of the second book, while Dean said by the middle of the third. Parvati put down 20 Galleons for when Dorea first saves someone's life.

**~"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."**

**"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Dorea. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

**Dorea thought she was probably right, but she wasn't going to tell her that. _Ever_.~**

Hermione grinned as Dorea groaned.

"You weren't supposed to find out about that!" she shouted, making Bill and James both whack her head for shouting in their ears, almost literally. Dorea was resting her head on Bill's shoulder, afterall.

**~"Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

**"Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeves cackled.**

**"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

**"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."~**

"Keep up that way and I'll never turns yous in." Peeves giggled, remembering what happened next.

**~"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."**

**"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.~**

"Ronnie Ronnie is _very_ naughty." Peeves cackled, making Michaela fall off the couch and roll around on the ground in laughter. Dan waved it off as everyone stared at her.

"She has a dirty mind, it's probably in the gutter now." he said. Michaela grinned at her friend.

"Past the gutter, it's in the sewers." she corrected. Suddenly everyone began laughing as they caught the meaning behind her words. Nicholas shook his head, cast a wide Silencing Charm, and let his wife continue reading. He checked his watch. It was 5:45 already...?

**~"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"~**

Lily paled, remembering what was said earlier in Dorea and Ron's defense._ "It was right near the Charms corridor..."_

**~Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked.~**

"No..." she groaned, knowing which door it was. Neville nodded in agreement.

"No is right. _Never_ want to go in there again."

**~"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"~**

"I thought Dorea was the over dramatic one?" Seamus asked, confused. Hermione shrugged.

"We're all allowed our over dramatic moments."

**~They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves' shouts.**

**"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Dorea's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!" The lock clicked and the door swung open~**

"That's very impressive, since you aren't using your own wand, it could have easily backfired on you. Especially since it was your first time using it." Professor Flitwick commented, smiling at the bushy-haired girl.

**~- they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

**"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

**"Say 'please.'"**

**"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"**

**"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.~**

"He won't say anything." all the pranksters and Luna said at the same time, making Peeves giggle happily. They knew him so well!

**~"All right - please."**

**"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

**"He thinks this door is locked," Dorea whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Dorea's bathrobe for the last minute. "What is it?"~**

Those who hadn't realized where the four of them were realized it now. The forbidden Thrid Floor Corridor.

**~Dorea turned around slowly - and saw, quite clearly, what it was. For a moment, she was sure she'd walked into a nightmare - this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.**

**They weren't in a room, as she had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor.~**

"Uh oh..."

**~And now they knew why it was forbidden. They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.~**

Most of the school was freaking out, but Michaela was all but drooling at the prospect of a giant three headed dog.

"It sounds _beautiful_..." she whispered, Charlie nodding in agreement. Nowhere near as beautiful as a dragon, but still beautiful all the same.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes, Perenelle was able to read again.

**~It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Dorea knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.**

**Dorea groped behind her for the doorknob - between Filch and death, she'd take Filch each time.~**

"Good choice."

**~They fell backward - Dorea slammed the door shut as fast as she could, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared - all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster.~**

"Smart."

**~They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.~**

"Impressive." Dorea looked annoyed.

"Bill, what is _with_ all the one word comments?" she demanded. Bill flushed and refused to look at her, knowing he didn't actually have an answer.

**~"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

**"Never mind that - pig snout, pig snout," panted Dorea, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.~**

"Very brave, you four." Daphne smirked. Dorea sent her a meaningless glare.

"You try facing it in the middle of the night as we'll see how brave you are after the adrenaline wears off!" she retorted. Daphne sent her one last glance before shrugging, she probably would've fainted.

**~It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.~**

"I honestly didn't think he would." Ron said, making Neville laugh.

"Neither did I."

**~"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."~**

Everyone laughed at that comment, some Slytherins discussing how Ron might be the comic relief of the Trio. Dorea leads, Hermione studies, and Ron keeps them all from cracking under the pressure.

**~Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"~**

Everyone looked at her curiously. She blushed.

"I was so scared I looked right at the floor."

**~"The floor?" Dorea suggested haughtily. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."**

**"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."**

**She stood up, glaring at them.**

**"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled.~**

"Sort your priorities!" shouted most of the Hall, making Dorea and Ron laugh.

**~Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

**"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."~**

Snickers erupted at Ron and Hermione's expense.

**~"She needs to sort her priorities, too." Dorea commented before leaving Ron to go to bed as well. But Hermione had given Dorea something else to think about as she climbed back into bed, Hermione's back to her.**

**The dog was guarding something. What had Hagrid said again? That Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide - except perhaps Hogwarts.~**

Nicholas groaned and slammed his head against the table. Too smart and curious for her own good, that one was!

**~It looked as though Dorea had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was, and it was completely by accident.~**

Perenelle closed the book and looked over at Albus, who was checking his pocket watch.

"Dorea, William, if you don't want to be late for the Gringotts appointment, I suggest the both of you leave now." he said. Dorea and Bill nodded, said their goodbyes, and walked out of the Hall.

Everyone except Fleur smirked as they saw that they two of them were holding hands.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 16,994**

**Back to the long chapters! Next chapter is gonna be an intermission, so it'll take longer to update than most chapters. I'd also like to tell you guys the information on the cerastes, at least the muggle portion of it, was found on mythical creatures list . com, just remove the spaces when typing it out.**

**Review Count: 153**

**Sweet mother of Merlin on an ice cream sandwich... THAT'S 23 MORE THAN I ASKED FOR! I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU GUYS! *glomps* FREE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! *chucks chocolate chip cookies at everyone* Also, depending on the amount of reviews I receive from this chapter depends on whether or not the review replies will remain at the top of the page. I don't want to be replying to people so much that it takes up a good chunk of the top.**

**Review Goal: 160**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**REVIEW BUTTON RIGHT THERE! TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL THINK OF MY STORY SO FAR AND GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO WHO SHOULD END UP WITH WHO!**


	11. Interlude 2

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**I apologize for the Speaker part of the last chapter, I don't know where that mistake came from. Yes, it was supposed to be Seeker, I think it was a spelling correction gone wrong. I sincerely apologize, guys, I did not mean for that to happen!**

**And guys, I think I've developed an obsession with Bill Weasley. I can't stop staring at pictures of him... And I have a collage of pictures of him as my desktop... Well, what can I say? Domhnall Gleeson is pretty damn sexy, and played Bill really well ^/^**

**I've added the Strong!Harry because it fits with the Potter history. Her grandmother and grandfather, while being elderly people, managed to defeat over half of Voldemort's army. But Dorea will work for most of her power, she won't be Merlin just because she gained the Potter Ring and became Lady Potter. She works for her knowledge, and will work to control her power. So you don't need to worry about me making her unrealistically strong yet. And as to my idea as to how the whole "gains power at 16 and 17" thing works is at 16, the magical core of a witch or wizard begins to mature as they come closer to coming of age. At 16 years old, they'll get a power growth spurt that's half the amount of power that they'll receive in total, while at 17 they gain the other half. This also explains why a witch or wizard comes of age at 17 in the HP world, because they've come into their full power. Make sense?**

**NOTE: reference websites(remove spacing)**

**sword - buyers - guide types - of - swords**

**medieval - life - and - times .info /medieval - weapons /daggers**

**middle - ages .org .uk /middle - ages - weapons**

**NOTE 2: this is what the ring/bracelet/necklace looks like for the main celtic knot**

**ebay itm / CHICOS - SIGNED - NECKLACE - REGAL - RUBY - RED - GOLD - CELTIC - KNOT - BLACK - VELVET - /221129863763**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Yes, it will throw a wrench in her plans, since her family will be watching her to make sure she doesn't try anything like Sierra and Hedwig are. Ollie Pop? From a Things I Am Not Allowed to Do At Hogwarts list, one of them is "I've heard every joke about Oliver Wood's name is not a challenge. It sounds like Lollie Pop, and, uh, eh heh heh... *blushes* I have a somewhat dirty mind... And I think that Percy teaching Ron and Ginny puppy dog eyes would be something that would make him and the youngest two get along when they were little, and we all know that Percy is somewhat of a momma's boy, too, so puppy dog eyes are a must to learn. Besides, whose to say he didn't use it to get the twins in trouble for stealing his toys? Malfoy wants to end the Feud based on the wealth and power the Potter family has. As to how Blood Feud can be settled besides getting married after the Feud has been acknowledged, that will be explained by either Bill or the Ragnarok. Random question: why are almost all head goblins named either Ragrok, Ragnok, or Ragnarok? And yeah, if Malfoy didn't act like his father right off the bat, he and Dorea probably would've been great friends, seeing as how he's pretty loyal to his friends and is knowledgeable of the wizarding world, and would probably give her free lessons about it since she was raised by muggles. It's a mix of both, she was a fan of Dorea because she survived the AK when she was a baby, but respects her and idolizes her because Dorea saved her life when she didn't have to. And thanks for that idea, I might add it in after the lake scene. As to why Remus still freaks out about Tonks getting pregnant in the seventh book, one in three children sired by werewolves have the chance of inheriting the curse. If they do inherit the curse, the mother dies giving birth to them. So Remus was freaking out over the idea of Tonks dying and having to raise a werewolf cub from birth all by himself. It does make sense, right? Yeah, the excuses were terrible, and needless to say, the Marauders and Lily are gonna beat him over the head for them. Hey, Charlie seems like a tradition Weasley to be - independent, hotheaded, stubborn, the whole song and dance. It really depends on how the match goes and if anyone interferes you know. And don't worry, the match between the Gryffindors and the Bulgarians will probably take place at the beginning of the second book or right after the first book ends. Yes yes, the poor students, unaware of the true dangers that lurked in the school they have been attending since they were 11... Well, Arthur and Molly don't seem to be the parents that's in the loop for social changes, just importance news and such. So she probably wouldn't think that Howlers are the strange to get at Hogwarts still. Thanks for the pairing suggestions! They're on my iPod for me to look up and decide on when I need to add in another couple!**

**LM Ryder: Lady and Lord Malfoy, probably. Bellatrix? Sorry, but unless you want her to be strangled by Neville(which sounds like a really good idea, but would totally destroy how I plan for her to die), she won't turn up. For the Mirror of Erised, most people won't know what they would see, but I will tell you what they tihnk they would see.**

**bloomskyrules: Why thank you! Yes, yes, possibly correct(not gonna reveal that), possibly(haven't decided), they would make a really cute couple, yes, and EXACTLY! It's supposed to be seeker, I have no idea where speaker came from... Yes, yes there will be. Not to mention Susan beating Ron up for what he said about Hermione.**

**MistBlade8:I will expand on elven magic, don't worry about that. She would have gone to Hogwarts, but she's been homeschooled for the past five years, so if she does go to Hogwarts it'll be in sixth year so she can study for her OWLs at home. Gobling will most likely be OC(can goblins really be OC, there's only one mentioned...) That will be explained shortly. If she does chew her sister out, it'll be in French, which will be in italics. The only translations that won't be written in english italics will be spells, latin, and my very own made up languages, such as the Elvin language. She may end up with Draco like in canon, but it really depends on how much Draco changes or not.**

**917brat: Thank you so much for that compliment! I hade that dive in my head since the first movie, you know, the move where Harry catches the Snitch in his mouth? Dorea having werewolf blood would also explain how she can see clearly in the dark when most people can't. More sensitive night vision. Thanks, I want their portrayals to be realisistc - Michaela likes Charlie but she doesn't know how much yet, Dorea is in love with Bill but believes that he only sees her as a sister, Bill is conflicted about his emotions, and Charlie has no clue that he likes Michaela yet. The bank will turn out to be pretty interesting, needless to say the Potter Account Manager is gonna be pissed off at Snape for the reason he ignited a Blood Feud between the Potters and Snapes. _Oooooh_ sweetheart, if you thought that Dorea can be violent you will have no idea what's _coming_ for Marge... I really should stop watching horror movies that have a ton of violence and get some anger management... Naaah, writing is my anger management. It lets me vent out my anger ^^ Dudley will be redeemed, though, but it will be a slow process. Remember, he's still kinda scared of witches and wizards thanks to Hagrid, so he's gonna stay more quiet than he normally would.**

**Lady Leaf8: Why thank you! I hope you anticipate this chapter, it took me forever to write it. And I understand the need to keep a review short, happens to me sometimes too. Where you're just too tired to write out the long review you want to give, so you keep it short. Unless I'm ranting, then I'm likely to wake up completely and rant on and on until I run out of space to type. And I posted this as quickly as I could, hope you like it!**

**mercuryfire: Thank you, I was listening to it and thought that Columbia's part would suit Michaela perfectly, especially if you seen the clothing she wears for that scene in the movie. Instead of gold with sequins it would be black with sequins, and she's probably be wearing a micro mini skirt with it instead of those super-short booty shorts that are almost bikini bottoms.**

**~O~O~O~**

Dorea and Bill were out of the Hall and already halfway to the Hogwarts Gates when Dorea realized that she was holding Bill's hand. She felt her face burn a bright red, and she tried not to squeeze his hand to tell him that she was holding it. She didn't know how Bill was planning on getting them to Gringotts, maybe they were going to Apparate? For Bill, it wasn't until they were almost at the Gates that he realized what the warm thing in his hand was. He didn't want to be rude and pull his hand away, but feeling her hand in his like this felt wrong yet perfect at the same time. He wasn't guiding her through some big crowd to their destination like he had been this past summer, they both knew how to get the the Hogwarts Gates. Dorea looked away to the Forbidden Forest, knowing if she looked at Bill her blush would just deepen even further.

"So, uh, how are we getting to Gringotts?" she asked. Bill looked at her momentarily, causing stunning sapphire eyes to meet beautiful emerald orbs. They both blushed harder and looked away, tearing apart their hands. Dorea held her now cold left hand with her right, the blush spreading from her cheeks down her neck and deep into her shirt. Bill scratched the back of his neck, refusing to look at the 15 year old that made his heart pound wildly.

"Ah, I was thinking we could Apparate, unless you wanna take the Night Bus." he offered. Dorea glared at him through the blush, he had been there to get herself, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ron onto the platform last year. He had heard her complain about the Night Bus once it was out of sight. He knew that she hated that death trap with a passion.

"Apparating sound a hell of a lot better." she deadpanned. Bill laughed at her tone, holding out his arm for her to take as they reached the Gates. Dorea stared at it curiously, the blush starting to fade. Bill smiled down at her.

"You can't Apparate yet, so you'll have to Side-Along Apparate for now. Don't worry for when you do learn how to Apparate, though. Side Along is worse than actually doing it yourself." he stated once Dorea took his arm and they crossed through the Gate. Dorea had no idea what was coming for her as she took Bill's arm, because the moment they were past the Anti-Apparation wards Bill spun the both of them on his heel, Apparating them into the Apparating Point in Gringotts for their employees. Dorea felt as though she was being squeezed and spun through a small tube, her only connection to Bill being her hand on his arm. As soon as the sensations began they disappeared, the world coming crashing down around Dorea as she stumbled around, trying to hold onto her lunch. Bill caught her by her elbow and held her upright, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"W-What the _bloody_ _hell_ was that?" Dorea wheezed. Bill smiled sympathetically, understanding exactly where she was coming from. It happened to everyone when they Side-Along Apparated for the first time.

"That was Apparating. It's easier when you aren't being dragged along through the magical streams, though. And I'm impressed by you, most people vomit their first time. I know I did, though that might have to do with the fact that I had literally just eaten lunch..." Bill said, trailing off as he thought back to his experience. "Yeah, it's probably because of that..." A few minutes passed, and Dorea managed the gain most of her balance back when someone clearing their throat from behind Dorea and Bill brought both back from their thoughts, Bill's about how Apparating after a meal was a horrible idea in general, while Dorea's was about how all forms of wizarding transportation, sans flying, sucked. They both turned to see a very amused goblin standing there. Dorea recognized him in an instant.

"Gringotts Director and High Goblin Ragnarok has been waiting for you, Curse Breaker Weasley, Lady Potter." Griphook stated, a malicious grin on his face. Dorea stood up straight again, wobbled a little before her balance reset itself, and began to follow Bill out of the strange, circular room made almost entirely of black marble and down a hallway to double ebony doors embedded with jewels and precious metals in an ornate and beautiful pattern. Before Griphook left them to do some other Gringotts business, Dorea turned slightly and smiled at him.

"Pleasure to see you again, Griphook." she chirped happily. Griphook looked from Dorea's happy face to Bill's proud one in shock, before shaking his head and walking away, muttering something in a different language, probably Gobbledygook. Dorea looked from Griphook to Bill to the door, shifting her balance from one foot to the other.

"So, uh, you wanna knock?" Bill asked, looking at the door anxiously. He never thought that High Goblin Ragnarok would be the one consulting Dorea, he thought that it would be the Potter Account Manager... Unless there was some business that the High Goblin wanted to settle with Dorea, like bank statements that she hadn't responded to. Bill's eyes flooded with confusion. But bank statements were sent by the Gringotts owls, they couldn't be repelled by any Anti-Owl Ward due to their special training, the only way for Dorea to not be getting her bank statements was for someone to be intercepting them in mid flight... Bill sighed as he thought of the very, very long list of people who would be willing to do just that. Yeah, that was probably what happened. While Bill was thinking Dorea raised one fist and moved to knock on the door when a voice sounded from inside.

"Please come in, Lady Potter." a gruff voice said. Dorea and Bill exchanged looks filled with equal amounts of look and shock before Bill slowly opened the door for Dorea. It took the Lady a moment to take in the sight of the office before her very eyes. The ceilings were high and made of a mixture to stained and clear glass in what appeared to be a mural of one of the successful Goblin Wars, possibly one of the more recent ones at that. The walls were higher than most, ornate in design, and made of marble with some gemstone patterns inlaid within the marble. The wall directly across from the doorway was flooded with portraits muggle portraits, of the past Gringotts Directors and High Goblins for the Lodon Tribe that ran the London bank. The desk, which came up to Dorea's hip and Bill's mid-thigh was made of mahogany and outlined in gold. There were two leather chairs resting on the human side of the desk, while on the goblin side was a richly dressed goblin with several rings on his long fingers, looking at Dorea and Bill with unyielding interest. Yet it was none of this that attracted Dorea's attention, that was held solely on what hung on all the walls.

Weapons.

Swords of all styles - samurai swords, katanas, khopeshes, foils and rapiers, two-handed swords, claymores, flamberges, longswords, bastard swords, scimitars, falchions, sabers, and short swords. The daggers were plentiful - bollok daggers, dirks, basilards, main-gauches, miseicordes, and rondels. There were polearms of all lengths and widths, battle axes, caltrops, flails, balberds, longbows, bows, crossbows, pikes, poleaxes, quarterstafffs, warhammers, batons, scimitars, there was even a lance or two! There were also weapons that most British wizards wouldn't recognize, due to their upbringing to pay no attention to other cultures, such as weapons to go alongside different martial arts styles such as kung fu or karate, such bo staffs that Dorea saw in a star pattern planted onto the wall to her left. Ragnarok noticed Dorea's gaze on his many weapons and grinned, showing off his pointed teeth without shame.

"It appears you are truly a Potter and Gryffindor through-and-through, Lady Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell. You barely took notice of anything other than the weapons that I have on display." he commented. Dorea turned to look at Ragnarok, spying a hilt over his shoulder. She looked him in the eyes curiously.

"Can you use all these weapons? I mean no insult to you or your people, but some of these weapons would obviously be awkward for you to wield due to your heights being shorter than that of humans." she inquired. Bill looked at Dorea like she had just declared Ragnarok to be her elder and illegitimate brother, but Ragnarok's grin just grew wider as he took in the final Potter.

"The weapons are enchanted to change in size according to the person wielding them. As the ones to mount them on these walls were humans and they have remained untouched since, they have not needed to changes sizes, and I truly hope that the need for them to change is unnecessary." Ragnarok said sincerely, thinking back to his childhood, being raised on the stories of the Old Wars. Bill was mentally panicking - he had never given Dorea any lessons in goblin etiquette she could insult Ragnarok and never even know it until after she had a goblin blade held to her throat! Dorea, however, looked very interested.

"Does that apply to the Sword of Godric Gryffindor as well?" she asked, making Ragnarok's eyes snap onto Dorea in shock, while Bill's jaw hit the ground. She - She found the _Sword of Godric Gryffindor_?!

"How did you find that blade? It's been lost to the world for over one thousand years!" Ragnarok said. Dorea shrugged.

"Found it at the end of my second year. Everyone at Hogwarts will probably find out about it by the end of the week, if we keep this rate up." Dorea said calmly, not really caring. She looked back to Ragnarok. "So, uh, should we start the meeting? And no offense intended, but I didn't expect for the High Goblin to be an Account Manager." This comment drew both Bill and Ragnarok back to the reason that all of them were there. Ragnarok leaned forward, resting his head on the back of his hands, his face suddenly serious. Dorea couldn't help but think of 'the Godfather' from the look in Ragnarok's eyes.

"Well, Lady Potter, the reason that I am speaking to you instead of Account Manager Grimfist is because we have been sending you monthly bank statements that can only be opened by yourself. In the first statement we sent you, we requested that you reply to the statements we send. There are two reasons that you have not responded, and each has their own response One, you have been receiving our statements and are ignorant of the great insult you are dealing to us as a nation. Two, you have not received our statements, and as such we will deal with the ones that have been stealing your statements as thievery towards one of our most wealthy clients. Now, would you mind telling me which one of these options it is?" Ragnarok asked. Dorea's eyes narrowed into small slits, confirming Bill's concerns. Dorea never received a bank statement, had she?

"High Goblin Ragnarok, I didn't even know my family had a Grimoire until yesterday. If the statements were being sent to my Grimoire, then they are in Severus Snape's possession. If they were being sent to myself as a person, then they've been stolen from me." she growled out. Bill winced at the sound, Dorea was pissed. More pissed than when she found out Snape had been keeping her Grimoire from her on purpose. Ragnarok leaned back into his chair, his eyes equally narrow.

"Lady Potter, I assure you, a full investigation wil be launched, and the thieves will be brought to justice." he stated, then looked from Dorea to Bill. "Curse Breaker Weasley, why are you here?" he asked. Bill stumbled a bit in shock of being addressed by the Director.

"Ah, well, you see, we - being myself and several others - were hoping to have Dorea here tested for magical abilities such as Mage Sense and Sight." he explained. Dorea then smiled up at Bill.

"I also want Bill here to be one of my advisers " the goblin and man looked at her in confusion as her smile widened. "My Account Manager will also be an adviser Bill will help me concerning wizarding and muggle issues while my Account Manager will help my financial decisions. Who better to aid me than a wizard who knows about the muggle world and can blend in as well as someone who has grown up knowing what their occupation will be?" Ragnarok nodded and pulled out a folder with the Potter Crest on it and opening it to the first page.

"Now, Lady Potter, since you haven't been receiving our statements, I'll have to go over what they were reporting right now. Besides the withdrawal from your Trust Vault that you made at the beginnings of your first three years at Hogwarts, Molly Weasley has withdrawn a total of 140 galleons at the start of each year. Has she had your permission for these transactions?" he asked. Dorea nodded.

"Yes, for the beginning of my fourth year I was at the World Cup and couldn't do any shopping, while for the beginning of this year Professor Dumbledore didn't want me to leave my residence in case Death Eaters would attack me or my 'family'." Dorea said, making air quotes around the word family. Ragnarok nodded and turned to the next page in the file.

"Secondly, the Dursley family has been receiving 1000 pounds a month in order to take care of you, the exceptions being while you are attending Hogwarts. Do you wish for this stipend to continue?" he asked, looking up to see Dorea's furious face.

"No, and I want all the money sent to them returned. Whatever they have bought with it is to be liquidated, and be sure to charge interest on it. They haven't spent a penny on me if they could afford it, so they won't be getting any more money from me." she growled. Ragnarok nodded and made a note on that page before turning to the next one in the file.

"This, Lady Potter, is a list of all the properties owned by the Potter, Gryfindor, or Peverell families." Ragnarok said, handing the paper to Dorea. She took it, and with Bill looking over her shoulder, started to read.

**POTTER PROPERTIES**

**Potter Manor: Unplottable, accessible by Floo(locked) or portkey Wardings: Fidelius(intact), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**Potter Cottage: Godric's Hollow, Ministry Monument, accessable by Apparation Wardings: Fidelius(broken), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact), Detection Wards(intact)**

**Potter Isle: Unplottable, accessible by Floo, Apparation points, or portkey Wardings: Fidelius(intact), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact), Intent Wards(intact), Detection Wards(intact)**

**Potter Mansion(destroyed): Unplottable, accessible by Floo, Apparation points, or portkey Wardings: Fidelius(broken), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**Potter Safe House: 15 Girmmauld Lane, Unplottable, accessible by Floo Wardings: Fidelius(intact), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**Potter Vineyard: Lombardy Italy Wardings: Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**  
**Note: Inhabited, run by Francesco Bianchi, specializes in red wine**

**Prongs Apartment: Western London, penthouse, accessible by Floo or portkey Wardings: Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**Lily's Pad: Eastern London, penthouse, accessible by Floo or portkey Wardings: Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**Potter Villa: Spanish Bay, accessible by Floo, Apparation Points, or portkey Wardings: Fidelius(intact), Muggle Repelling(intact), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**

**4 Private Drive: Little Whinging, Surrey Wardings: Blood Protection(weak), Anti-Fire(intact), Anti-Pest(intact), Anti-Flood(intact)**  
**Note: Inhabited, residents being Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Dudley Dursley, and Dorea Potter**

Bill whistled lowly as he read the list of estates in just the Potter name. Dorea had a vineyard in Italy and a villa in the Spanish Bay? Who knew? Not to mention she had Unplottable homes that she could live in during the war. Bill blinked as the paper started shaking, then noticed that it wasn't just the paper. It was Dorea. Bill's eyes wandered to the last bit of property, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest. The house that Dorea has lived in for the past 14 years, the house that the Dursley claimed the graciously allow her to live in, Dorea's personal prison, she -

"Why do I own that hellhole in Privet Drive?" she hissed, making Ragnarok's eyes narrow slightly before looking at his own copy of the document. Ragnarok's eyes narrowed even further as he read something that was clearly not on the document that he had given Dorea.

"It appears that your mother bought out the place and gave it to Petunia as a wedding gift, but the receipt was still in her name. As such, it is Potter Property." he explained shortly. Dorea's shoulders started shaking, her head bent forwards so that her bangs cast shadows over her eyes. Bill placed a hand on her shoulder, thinking she was about to cry, but to his and Ragnarok's shock Dorea burst out into full-bellied, gut-wrenching laughter. She rolled around in her seat, hitting the arm of her chair and holding her stomach. When she calmed down some, she grinned maliciously at Ragnarok.

"Since I own it, I can put it up for sale at any moment, right?" she asked. Ragnarok and Bill both gained equally malicious grins' as Dorea, though Ragnarok's was far more sinister due to his pointed teeth. Bill chuckled darkly, Dorea could put that house up for sale and the Dursleys could do absolutely nothing about it. They would have to move before the house was bought, however, and they wouldn't even be getting the money that came with selling the house. That would go right to Dorea. Ragnarok chuckled and handed Dorea a different paper, this one containing investments and stocks that the Potter family had, in both muggle and wizarding worlds.

_**POTTER FAMILY INVESTMENTS AND STOCK HOLDINGS**_

_**WIZARDING WORLD/MAGICAL COMPANIES**_

**Daily Prophet: 15%  
****Gladrags: 5%  
****Flourish and Blotts: 5%  
****Honeydukes: 10%  
****the Quibbler: 20%  
****Madam Malkins Robes For All Occasions: 1%  
****St Mungo's: 25%  
****Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop: 49%  
****Leaky Cauldron: 55%  
****Obscurus Books: 5%  
****Ollivanders Wand Shop: 10%  
****Potage's Cauldron Shop: 3%  
****Quality Quidditch Supplies: 49%  
****Slug and Jiggers Apothecary: 3%  
****Twilfitt and Tatting's: 10%  
****Whizz Hard Books: 15%  
****Wiseacre's**** Wizarding Equipment: 5%**

_**MUGGLE WORLD/MUGGLE COMPANIES**_

**Grunnings: 55%  
****Microsoft: 5%  
****Samsung Electronics: 5%  
****Dell: 5%  
****Toyota Motor and Industries: 5%  
****L'Oreal: 3%  
****Nestle: 5%  
****Best Buy: 5%  
****Sony: 5%**

Dorea was the one to whistle at this list. She looked up at Bill in shock.

"Every one of these muggle companies, except Grunnings, is a bigshot company that's making tons of cash." she explained, making Bill 'oh' in understanding. Lily had probably been the one to instigate those investments, anyway. But what caught his attention was the list of magical investments.

"Well, there's also the fact that you invest and have stocks in almost every shop in Diagon Alley." he pointed out. Dorea nodded, barely able to wrap her mind around it. Every time she shopped in Diagon, she had been earning herself more money... It was a strange thought to come up with. Paying to earn money... Ragnarok shook his head slightly as he waved a hand, making the doors to his office swing open on their own for a different goblin to walk in. This goblin wasn't nearly as richly dressed as Ragnarok was, but he was still dressed more richly than the goblins in the Gringotts lobby were. Ragnarok smiled slightly at the goblin, holding his fist over his heart.

"Great greetings, Account Manager Grimfist. May your gold flow and your enemies shudder in fear at your name." Ragnarok said. Dorea looked over and smiled at her Account Manager, much to Grimfist's shock. Humans never smiled at goblins, let alone goblins that they're seeing for the first time. Grimfist remembered his manners, clasped his fist over his heart, and bowed at the waist.

"Great greetings, High Goblin Ragnarok. May your gold never seize and your enemies cower at your blade." he greeted, before looking at Dorea. "May I inquire as to why my client is meeting you instead of myself?" he asked politely. Ragnarok nodded and handed Grimfist the Potter folder he had in his desk.

"It appears someone has been intercepting Lady Potter's statements." Ragnarok stated. Grimfist's eyes narrowed dangerously as his lips pulled back into a snarl. "I will oversee the investigation myself to ensure that this never happens again. Now, would you please take Lady Potter to the Ritual Chamber to see what special abilities she has, as well as any blocks that remained in her system." he asked. Dorea looked at Ragnarok in confusion.

"Blocks?" she asked, confusion written on her face. Bill could answer this one easily.

"It's common for parents to put Accidental Magic Blocks on their children for the first 6 months, since that's the amount of time it usually takes for the core to develop. Some parents put extreme Accidental Magic Blocks on their children, which Lily and James probably did for you, seeing as how powerful your Accidental Magic was when you were an infant. In most cases these blocks are removed before the child turns 6, but if the blocks aren't removed by then they warp and change, and could very well end up blocking a child's magical core completely." he said. Dorea nodded in understanding - if people forgot that she had the block on her, and didn't check up on her, then the block would have changed. Dorea thought back - didn't her powerful Accidental Magic start when she was 7, which was after the block would have changed? If it hadn't been removed and it had changed, then what was being blocked instead? Grimfist turned on his heel and started to make his way down the hallway once again, Dorea and Bill on his tail. It was time to see what abilities Dorea had.

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE MARAUDERS ~O~O~O~**

James was sitting in his and Lily's lounge, supporting his head with his hands. Dorea, his baby girl, had been abused. Dorea, his daughter, had almost been sorted into Slytherin. He couldn't imagine it - _Dorea_, a _Slytherin_. But that wasn't all, oh no, Dorea went and became the world's youngest Seeker when she was only 11 years old. James groaned and reached for some Firewhiskey, making Lily slap his hand away from what would have been his third bottle of the alcohol.

"James, you've had more than enough." she whispered, rubbing her husband's shoulder. James groaned, the effects of the alcohol not working. Those three were right about one thing, they didn't need to eat or drink - eating they could get away with, but alcohol had no effect on these bodies that they had. James looked up at Lily with pain filled eyes.

"Dorea was almost a Slytherin, Lilypad, and you remember what I was like towards Slytherins." James groaned, regretting everything that he had done against those poor saps. Well, except for what he did against Snivellus, but come one, the greasy git deserved it! He fought back with twice the amount of force that the Marauders used, but then again, it was always four against one. Two against one, really, since Peter always just snickered and hid behind James and Sirius while Remus just stood by and watched. He would only interfer if James or Sirius would go too far, but other than that her remained on the sidelines and watched. Merlin, they were just big bullies up until their seventh year. Lily smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around James' shoulders.

"Then we'll just explain our Hogwarts years to her when she gets back, sound good?" she asked quietly. James nodded, watching a wasted Sirius and a very wasted Remus attempting to arm wrestle, only for Sirius to bang his head against the table and knock himself out while Remus laughed himself to sleep.

Their friends were idiots.

**~O~O~O~ WITH THE WEASLEY TWINS ~O~O~O~**

Fred and George were sitting back in the Common Room, grinning devilishly at each other as the other Gryffindors who saw their faces ran.

They had just finished the Bacon Thief Theme Song.

**~O~O~O~ TIME SKIP: HALF AN HOUR LATER, GRINGOTTS ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was busy nursing her cut hand while Bill was shaking his head.

"I told you that the ritual only needed a drop of blood, so why did you slash your palm again?" he asked. Dorea shrugged, watching as Bill healed the cut from the knife she was given.

"Only drawing a drop of blood with that giant arse knife would be shameful to the reputation of the knife." she said, looking at the 10 inch blade of goblin steel. The blade in itself was ornate, a slight curve to it with a sharp end that reminded Dorea of Norberta's tail. The guard of the blade resembled dragon wings, a hooded face connected the two wings. The hilt itself was covered in criss-crossing blood red leather, the pommel was a ruby in a dragon's mouth, the gem pulsing with power and almost giving off a light. Dorea looked from the knife that had just slit her palm open to the Runes bowl tat contained quite a bit of her blood. A goblin enchantress by the name of Farsong was chanting out something in Gobblygook, the runes in the gold, silver, and platinum bowl glowing white hot as she did so. The rubies, diamons, sapphires, and emeralds surrounding the edge of the bowl began to shine each their own unique and slightly different colour. For example, one emerald shone purely an emerald green, another was closer to a green-yellow, another was closer to a green-blue. Bill finished healing the gash on Dorea's hand before he quietly began to explain what was going on to her.

"This isn't covered until you get to the warding and ritual part of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, when the two classes become combined for NEWTs, but gold retains magical as a battery of sorts, silver is a conductor for magic, and platinum is a projector of sorts for magic. Emeralds reveal magical abilities, diamonds guide the magic through the other gems, rubies empower the other gems and the metals, and sapphires detect blocks and wards. The Runes imprinted in that bowl are used to separate the different forms of magic in the blood to reveal the different secrets that your blood holds. Does that make sense to you yet?" he asked. Dorea could only nod, she couldn't breathe at the sight of how beautiful it was. Grimfist and Farsong had said that this was one of the far simpler and less extravagant rituals that the goblins had to offer to wealthy clients and workers, if this was simple, how incredible could some of the other rituals be?

It only took a few minutes of chanting from Farsong, but the moment she stopped there was a bright flash of multi-coloured light. Dorea blinked away a few dots that stained her eyesight as she looked down at the bowl. There, where her blood once was, was a scroll. Farsong reached down and grabbed it, handing the roll of parchment to Dorea.

"Now leave, the ritual is done, you have no more business in my chambers." Farsong growled at the two humans. Dorea bowed her head in thanks to the powerful gobliness, claiming that she would come again with any of her children to see what magical abilities they had. Farsong snarled at the prospect, but once Dorea and Bill were out of sight she smiled and sat back down in her chair, exhausted. It had been quite some time since performing that certain ritual had taken so much out of her, the last she could remember this happening to her for was that old human Albus Dumbledore. Even then it hadn't drained her so... Farsong smiled warmly, thinking of the power that the Lady that had just left had within her.

Even if the wizarding world would never acknowledge the power that Dorea Potter held, the goblin nation would. They would forever acknowledge the powerful and kind Dorea Potter, the most powerful being since Merlin. Farsong giggled at the thought. And no one would know how powerful she was until it was too late to prevent her magical growth. Magick was really a strange mistress, wasn't she?

"I don't know your plans for that child, Atgama, but they must be big for you to gift her with that much power when she turns 16 and 17." Farsong whispered, feeling the winds of magick change as they sung in her ears. Farsong smirked and began to hum as she cleaned her items. For some strange reason, though, the blade that Lady Potter had used was beginning to sing with both poison and antidote... How strange.

How strange indeed.

**~O~**

Dorea and Bill were sitting on a park bench in Diagon Alley. Bill had applied a faint glamour to Dorea to change her hair colour to brown and her eye colour to blue, as well as to hide her scar. It wouldn't do them any good to have Dorea recognized, with Bill, in Diagon Alley, when she should be at Hogwarts, with a goblin scroll, and the Potter Family Ring on her finger. It wouldn't do them any good at all.

"You ready to open that?" Bill asked, looked at the scroll in Dorea's lap. Dorea glanced once at Bill and nodded, holding her breath as she slowly opened to scroll. The parchment was a beautiful white, a purer white than snow, and the writing was in gold. Bill's eyes widened slightly as he saw that - the paper represented the purity of her soul, while the ink, like a Polyjuice Potion, represented the person's personality. Even a Master of the Dark Arts could have a white parchment if they held themselves back from committing the crimes that the Death Eaters do. Dorea's eyes widened as she read what was written down.

**DOREA LILLIAN VIOLETTA POTTER(blood, magic, and soul)-GRYFFINDOR(blood, magic, and soul)-PEVERELL(blood, magic, and soul)-SLYTHERIN(blood, magic, and conquest)**

**ABILITIES:**

**Parseltongue: Partially Blocked, Passive Abilites Active, Parselmagic Blocked  
****Mage Sense: Partially Blocked, Pasive Abilities Active  
****Wandless Magic: Partially Blocked, Emotion Based Abilites Active, Intent Based Abilited Partially Blocked  
****Mental Magic: Partially Blocked, Occlumency Blocked, Legilimency Detection Partially Active**

**POTIONS AND POISONS:**

**Nutrition Potion, long lasting, last taken 1 day ago  
****Skelegrow, long lasting, taken 1 day ago  
****Basilisk Venom, long lasting, last taken 2 years and 4 months ago. - neutralized, given abilities involving water elemental magic and stronger Parselmagic  
****Phoenis Tears, long lasting, last taken 2 years and 4 months ago. - active, given abilities involving fire elemental magic and stronger White Magic  
****Unicorn Blood, long lasting, taken 4 months ago, neutralizes poisons in body - active, given abilities involving earth based elemental magic and stronger White Magic**

Bill didn't manage to see that last item on the list, the unicorn blood, as Dorea snapped the scroll shut. Her bagns were currently covering her eyes and she ran her fingers over the scar on her right forearm, remembering part of that night in the graveyard.

**_"No, you say? Wormtail, bring it here - You know, Potter, I've been told when unicorn blood passes the lips one will be cursed for life, but what if it enters the veins...?"_**

_Dorea..._

**_"Ah, yes, painful, isn't it? Well, simply become my Dark Lady, be by my side and bear my children, and this pain can be gone..."_**

_Dorea..._

**_"Just a simple yes will do, Potter, that's all you have to say... Perhaps a bit of an incentive? IMPERIO!"_**

_Dorea...!_

**_"No...? You still deny me...? It appears the blood was not enough pain for you to realize where you belong - CRUCIO!"_**

"_REA_!" Dorea's head shot up as she looked at Bill's whose eyes were wide with worry. She looked back down at her arm, at the scar. The skin there was silver now, like an adult unicorn's pelt. She was cursed, cursed because of something that happened against her will. Bill wrapped his arms around Dorea. "Rea, what's wrong?" he whispered. Dorea shook her head.

"You're gonna find out at the end of the fourth book anyway." she whispered back. Bill's eyes widened as he remembered what happened at the end of Dorea's fourth year. Voldemort had come back.

"I won't let him touch you ever again, you hear me? He won't ever be able to hurt you again." he whispered soothingly into Dorea's ear, rubbing her upper arm comfortingly. Dorea leaned her head into the crook of Bill's beck, allowing herself to believe what he was saying, even if it was just for a moment. Just for a moment, Voldemort could never touch her. Just for a moment, Voldemort couldn't hurt her. When Dorea was in Bill's arms, she couldn't help but feel safe and warm, loved even. When Dorea was in Bill's arms, she could forget about the problems of the outside world. She loved it, but it was also scared her. It scared her because she had never felt this way towards anyone before. Dorea knew she was in love with Bill, but she had no idea that it went to this extent, where she was willing to give anything and everything just to be in his arms.

"W-We should probably get going." Dorea stuttered, pocketing the scroll before Bill could grab it and read what it said. Bill gave her one last look before removing his arms from around the 15 year old and stood up, offering Dorea his arm so they could Apparate to Privet Drive.

Unknown to Dorea, Bill felt mildly disappointed. When Dorea had been in his arms, he felt complete, like nothing could go wrong when he had Dorea with him. As Bill stood, he was trying to calm his frantically beating heart as Dorea's scent remained in his nose, a scent that was a mixture of strawberries, vanilla, and cinnamon. It was intoxicating and addicting, and Bill only wanted more. More of that smell, more of the feeling of Dorea in his arms, more of the feeling of Dorea's head on his shoulder, perhaps even a kiss or two... Bill shook his head slightly as Dorea took his arm.

Where had _those_ thoughts come from?

**~O~O~O~ 10 MINUTES LATER AT PRIVET DRIVE ~O~O~O~**

Dorea and Bill were standing in the Dursley's attic in complete and utter shock. There was box upon box in there, and it wasn't just boxes. Trunks, but not just any trunks. Wizarding trunks, trunks that were around 20 years old. Dorea groaned as she realized what this all was - probably stuff from her home in Godric's Hollow that was sent here after Halloween 14 years ago.

"Dorea..." Bill started slowly, looking around. "Where's the box of letters?" he asked. Dorea shrugged, looking up at Bill.

"We can either do this the muggle way or the magical way, but I suggest we look through the trunks the muggle way." she suggested. Bill nodded and held up his wand.

"_Accio Box of Letters_!" he said, then ducked as several boxes flew at his head. Dorea laughed at his face when he stood up, much to his annoyance. "Get back here, Potter!" Bill shouted, throwing himself at Dorea, who danced out of his reach. Dorea smirked as she continued to dance out of his reach, up until her back slammed against a wall. Dorea's eyes widened as Bill grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. Bill ran his fingers over the scars on her arms, one down Dorea's right forearm, the other near the inside of her left elbow. Bill lowered his face down to kiss Dorea's scar, not really knowing what he was doing. Dorea felt her heartbeat speed up when she and Bill were like this, Bill pinning her against a wall, looking over her visible scars, kissing her most famous one. Dorea's face began to burn bright red as Bill pressed his forehead against hers, letting go of her wrists as he instead grabbed her shoulders. Dorea closed her eyes and breathed in Bill's scent, it was earthy, like crushed pine needles and autumn leaves. Then, all too soon, Bill pulled away from Dorea and went to collect the boxes.

Dorea looked at Bill as he bent over to pick up one of the boxes, from his ripped jeans, to his leather vest, to his white t-shirt, to his black dragon-hide boots. Dorea knew that, as she watched Bill wander around, she was completely and totally in love with the eldest Weasley son. It wasn't just his appearance that she loved, it was everything about him. His smile, his laugh, his personality, his style, the way he spoke, the way he treated everyone, the way she felt safe with him, everything. For the first time, and probably only time for the rest her life, Dorea could honestly say that she was truly, madly, and deeply in love with William Weasley.

For Bill, he ha forced himself to turn away because he knew that if he hadn't, he would have lost all control and done something that he would have regretted. He knew that Dorea was more than just simply an older Ginny to him, but he still wasn't sure what she meant to him, or if she even returned his feelings. Dorea was pure, pure in every sense, and he wasn't. He wouldn't deny it, he was pretty experienced in the bedroom, but Dorea... Dorea was the purest person he had ever met. She practically radiated purity, no matter what she was doing. When she had beaten the Dursleys the way she had, she looked like an avenging angel in casual clothes. When she had told him about her childhood with the Dursleys, she looked like a weeping goddess. When she smiled at him, no matter how she was smiling at him, it like looking directly into heaven. She didn't deserve someone like him. She deserved better.

Bill stacked the many boxes into one giant pile and shrunk it so Dorea could put the boxes in her pocket and grow them back to their original size at Hogwarts. He turned around to see Dorea rifling through trunks, a small smile on her face. Bill felt his heart constrict at the sight. Dorea was truly an angel, especially after her childhood. For her to be able to love, to smile, to care, she had the purest heart he would ever see. Dorea must have felt his gaze on her, because she looked up and smiled at him.

"Come over here and look, Bill! Someone must have shrunken the furniture from mum and dad's house and sent it here! Petunia probably didn't even know what it was, otherwise it would've been sold as doll furniture." Dorea said, pointing at the trunk she was looking at. Bill walked over and crouched down next to Dorea, looking down into the trunk with her. Bill felt a wave of nostalgia hit him as he looked at the furniture. He reached in and picked up an oak rocking chair, smiling a little as he looked at it. Dorea looked from the rocking chair to Bill curiously.

"Does that chair mean something to you?" she asked softly. Bill smiled fondly and wrapped and arm around Dorea, resting his head against hers.

"This is our rocking chair, I could almost always get you to sleep in this." he whispered, snuggling up to Dorea. Dorea felt her face burning, only to be reminded of the age difference. He doesn't see you like that, he could never see you like that, if he did he would stay away anyway... Dorea looked at Bill's other hand and grabbed the boxes of letters and smiled, there were at least 10 boxes, albeit shrunken, but still 10 boxes there. One letter, every day, for the past 14 years. The thought of such dedication, it warmed Dorea's heart in a way that reminded Dorea of family. All those years, all those letters, all for her. Bill must have realized what he was doing, because he placed the rocking chair back into the trunk and placed the boxes with them. Bill took his arm off of Dorea, much to her disappointment, and stood up, closing the trunks and shrinking the few of them in the attic. He cleared his throat, looking away from Dorea.

"Uh, you might want to get those trunks and wait downstairs. I just want to take one look around before we leave." he said, refusing to look at Dorea. It was because of this that he missed the brokenhearted look on Dorea's face. Dorea could only nod, grab the now small trunks, and walked past Bill to the ladder, and disappeared from Bill's sight. Dorea walked slowly down the familiar stairs when she noticed her cupboard. Dorea, not knowing where else to go for comfort over the fact that Bill couldn't seem to look at her from out of nowhere, opened the door and smiled at her cupboard. It was a little smaller than she remembered, but she had grown since she was last in it. On the wall was a picture that she had drawn in primary school of a young Bill. It was actually very good for a 9 year old, pretty accurate. Dorea made her way into the cupboard, closed the door, and wrapped the slightly moth-eaten blanket around her shoulders. She rested her head on the wall, and could feel tears making their way down her face. She just couldn't understand it. Why had Bill treated her so coldly out of nowhere?

Bill was sitting on Dorea's bed in the smallest bedroom, looking around. He couldn't believe that Dorea thought that this room was actually fine to live in, the mattress was all springs and no support, the actual bed frame was groaning under Bill's weight, the wardrobe that Dorea held her trunk in over the summers had the door barely on its hinges, the desk that was under the window with Hedwig's perch on it had the drawers torn out and the desk itself had graffiti all over it thanks to Dudley. The walls were a disgusting peach that was chipping almost everywhere and stained where one of the Dursleys had cleared put something with liquids up against the wall. He sighed, grabbed the perch, and exited the room, heading down the stairs. He had wasted a good 10 minutes in that room, just sitting there, imagining how Dorea must have felt during those days she had been locked in the room that was barely any bigger than a walk-in closet. He made his way down the stairs, pausing when he noticed Dorea wasn't in the living room. Maybe she was in the kitchen? Bill leaped over the railing as he went to go look. Nope, no Dorea there, either. She hadn't been in any of the other rooms the Dursleys had, and they didn't have a basement. Bill felt a sudden wave of fear as he thought about where she could be. He hadn't heard any of the doors leading out of the house open, there weren't any open window, so that meant - she didn't - she couldn't - why would she? Bill ran to the cupboard under the stairs and tore the door open, his heart breaking with what he saw. Dorea, curled up in a tiny ball, crying. Bill immediately wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her, something to calm her down.

"Sweety, why are you in here?" Bill murmured, holding Dorea close to him. Dorea shook her head, refusing to say why. She felt a little embarrassed at the fact that she had hidden in here because she thought Bill didn't care for her anymore. Bill nuzzled his cheek against Dorea's, ignoring the way his heart was pounding. All that mattered was that Dorea would become happy again, happy like she had been when looking at the items in those trunks, happy like she had been in the Hall at Hogwarts.

It took the two of them a few minutes for Dorea to calm down enough to cast a strong enough glamour that would keep her red eyes hidden. Once the glamour was up, Bill wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they walked out of the Dursley's house, earning curious stares from the neighbours. They had Apparated into the neighbourhood at the park at the end of the street, and would be Apparating out over there as well. Bill couldn't help but notice the amount of whispers and stares that they were receiving, remembering what Michaela said when she first arrived yesterday. Something about a Saint Brute's school? But what would that have anything to do with their opinions of Dorea? Was it a bad school? Did the students there have a bad reputation? Bill wanted to ask about it, but he knew better than to bother Dorea at the moment. He still had no idea why she had been in that cupboard - had she been looking at it when the memories hit her, and she decided to hide in there for comfort and safety?

Bill couldn't help but feel concerned for the girl that he wasn't sure how he felt towards yet.

**~O~O~O~ AT HOGWARTS - WITH THE DELACOURS ~O~O~O~**

Fleur was sitting down in front of her parents, glaring icily at the both of them. How - How dare they suggest that she leave her Bill alone!

"Mama, papa, why are you saying this? That Potter-whore is the one trying to steal my mate!" Fleur shouted, causing her mother to glare at her, her hair beginning to fly back in anger. Fleur backed down immediately, knowing what would happen if she didn't. She rather liked her hair the way it was, not burnt, thank-you-very-much.

"Fleur, we will tell you one more time. If you attempt to interfere with Dorea Potter and Bill Weasley's relationship, you will no longer have a home or a name to use. Are we understood?" Monsieur Delacour growled out. Fleur nodded, looking at her feet. The two didn't have a relationship, Dorea might like him, but Bill didn't like her.

Right?

**~O~O~O~ AFTER DINNER - DOREA ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was opening the letters, reading them one by one. She had finally gotten to her birthday letter from when Bill would have passed his NEWTs, and gasped when she opened it. The birthday gift that year was absolutely beautiful, and as she fingered the matching, handmade bracelet, necklace, and ring set, Bill's words from earlier ran through her mind. Gold retains magical as a battery of sorts, rubies empower the other gems and the metals.

The set was made of gold Celtic knot chains or bands, each with one ruby and gold Celtic knot pendant either imprinted into the band or hanging of the band. Dorea smiled. She was most definitely wearing these tomorrow. And she had just the outfit to go with them.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 9,904**

**A little shorter than I normally hope for, but it is an interlude. I loved writing all the fluffy Dorea/Bill moments! And Bill has finally realized that Dorea isn't just a sister to him, but he hasn't realized what she means to him yet. Tomorrow will be waking up, breakfast, and Halloween! And a wish to all - Happy Remembrance Day!**

**Review Count: 175**

**I've decided to push my goals, since I've been told that they're just a little too low, so instead of 10 per chapter I'm hoping for 25, seeing as how that's about the amount I get per chapter anyway.**

**Review Goal: 200**


	12. Book 1: Chapter 10

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Ariel Night: Alright, let's review the Weasley males and their cluelessness in the second book, Arthur(canon) didn't even notice Harry sitting at his kitchen table until Mrs. Weasley pointed him out. Bill, in this book, doesn't seem to realize that Dorea feels the exact same towards him that he feels towards her. Charlie doesn't even know what he thinks of Michaela yet, that might be covered in this chapter though... Percy(canon) didn't seem to realize that he was a prat until the seventh book, Fred and George never noticed how badly they hurt Ron's self esteem, and Ron(canon) didn't clue into the fact that Hermione and Hary only like each other as siblings. So yeah, the Weasley Cluelessness is inherited, in my opinion. The blocks have been removed, just didn't mention them yet. There's an easy way to fix that problem, though, and that's to state how easy they were to remove! Ah, but that has yet to be revealed. Remember, it's powered Dorea's White Magic abilities up, so who knows(except me, of course :P) what the blood really did? As for Mage sight, no, she doesn't have it.**

**917brat: Thank you, I had so much fun writing those scenes. Fleur will never get Bill, Dorea is strong but she's still a girl, so she has a sensitive side to her, and no offense, but it's vunerable. I plan to keep this up, I don't want to stop this story until the last chapter is done!**

**mercuryfire:Oh wow, you squealed? I take that as a serious compliment! Fluffy moments are so much fun to write, I get my cheese on! ... *sweatdrops* That sounds so lame... Eh heh heh heh... It's gonna be adorable, especially how Dorea says thanks for them!**

**bloomnskyrules: Oh wow, you were checking daily? I'm sorry for the long wait, then! ^^" Dorea won't react too badly, mainly because James is explaining it to her and telling her about how he changed from what he was. Her father and the teenage James are totally different people, and I don't think most people realize that. In my eyes, James really regrets what he did to Snape because it wasn't something a Light person would do, it was closer to Death Eater style than anything. Fleur wil continue to delude herself until it's announced that Bill and Dorea are Soul Mates, but I really don't know when that will happen... I'll have to get back to you on that! Dorea's idea of selling the Dursley's home makes sense, they've made her work all her life to live in a house she owns, so since they haven't paid a penny on her, she takes away the home they always told her was only over their head in the "graciousness". Bill's reaction is gonna be adorable, as well as Dorea's way of saying thank you for the present. Halloween spoiler(not much since it is this chapter, after all): Ron gets beat up, Dorea gets the life squeezed out of her, and most of the students flip out over the fact that none of the professors could find the troll, but three first year students found it and knocked it out.**

**Lady Leaf8: Romantic and sad are my specialties dear lady. *deep bow* Thank you for saying I'm amazing, and you really should wait until morning to review. Longer reviews that way, too! *grins* Well, the way I write is I picture what's going on inside my head, then find the words to describe it and write it out. Maybe that could help you when you're writing? It really helps for the more descriptive parts, too. And I should really start waiting a day to post the chapters so that you don't have to worry about getting caught by your dad in the middle of the night. I hope I updated soon enough for your tastes, dear lady! ... Wow, now I feel like a guy calling you that... Oh well, you're dear lady from now on!**

**griffindork94: FIRST OFF: HOLY MOLE RAVIOLI! THAT REVIEW IS EFFING _LONG_! Now to the response In the first book, Percy does come over to Molly just to kiss her on the cheek and brag about being a prefect in front of his younger brothers. I'm thinking about changing that, like I always plan to - Percy shoving Fred out of the way instead of letting Fred get hit. Exactly why I made that idea, I mean, the curse runs through the werewolf's blood and magic, which alters their genetic structure that much. It's like a parent having a disease and calculating the chances of their children getting it, it's possible, but not really sure of until the child is born. Of course it was an impressive display of weapons, goblins are a warrior race. They'd want to show off their skills with weaponry by showing off the amount of weapons that they can use. The different ciews will come up, but in the end it'll probably go to Dorea because not only is she the one that found it, but she's also Lady Gryffindor, so it would be a family heirloom. Dorea might attempt to side with the goblins that want it back, but in the end it'll probably go to Dorea to keep on her person. I would love to make a bunch of culture discussion, like the Nymph, Veela, Neko, and Elven cultures that I need to come up with. Coming up with the way different people live is so much fun, it's makes the creative part of my brain work! Though coming up with the languages is a pain... Hey, I found her reaction believable and reasonable. She just found out that she owns her own hell on earth! Their niece, who they've treated as their personal slave all her life, is now the owner of Vernon's company and their home. Marge might have a heart attack. Well, coming back from the dead has to have its downsides, right? So James, Lily, Cedric, Fabian and Gideon can't get drunk or sick. The sick part they might not mind all that much, but you need to consider that this means that if someone is sick then they are gonna be the ones to take care of them. As for running out of hair, it's either that or he, Sirius, Lily, and Remus will all have their hair turn grey by the time the last chapter is finished. Dorea thinks that Snape both hates her father and tends to over-exaggerate, so she doesn't believe that James was as horrible as Snape claims he was. There's also the fact that she heard James tell Lily to grab Dorea and run, so who could say that a man who is willing to give his life just for his wife and daughter to have a larger than slim chance of safety is an arrogant prick that's worthless? Come on, let's all be realistic, and Snape only knows the teenage James, not the adult and mature James. How can you judge someone based off their teenage years? As for shaming the reputation of the knife - let's just say I give you a giant ass, beautiful knife, and tell you that I need some of your blood. Would you just prick your finger with the tip or run the entire blade against your palm? She's not conscious of the goblin culture at all, but she feels that if a blade is needed to draw blood then it should give a big enough wound to leave a scar. I'm glad she is too, it makes for a much more interesting third year. She might drop Divination, though, since it's proven that Dorea isn't a Seer in the slightest. I love my descriptions, because they're based off what I see in my head. If I can't read it over and re-envision what I originally saw, I have to change it and re-write it to fit what I want to be envisioned when people read it. She has the capability to be as powerful as Merlin, if she uses her full power. The goblin nation would acknowledge her power because it would make her an excellent ally, not to mention she's a rich client that earns them money. The graveyard scene will be altered slightly, but I will attempt to get there as soon as possible. This story may take a few years for me to finish... Joy. Tom will make similar offers to Dorea every time he sees her: "Join me, stand by my side as my Dark Lady, and together, we shall rule over the weak!" would be an example of something he would say. In Voldemort's eyes, this would be, like, the ultimate turn on for girls. But let's admit it, us girls are kinda shallow when it comes to guys like that, and we would never go for Moldy as long as he looks like an effing snake. Unless he proved to be rich. -_\||| Voldemort will continue giving Dorea chances to change sides until when she goes out to destroy the Horcruxes in the book. Dorea might see both, but she might see her lost family and Bill surrounding her in the mirror. I'm thinking about making the image change and having Dorea a little embarrassed as to what the second image saw. Well, Bill does't really know what his feelings are yet. He knows that Dorea is more important to him than Ginny is, so he doesn't see her as a sister, but he's not really sure what she is to him as of yet. It is very realistic, and I've tried to make their relationship as such. Bill feels dirty because Dorea is 10 years younger than him Dorea feels a little heartbroken every time she gets close to showing her feelings to Bill only to have the chance ripped away from her by Bill himself. If it was someone else, she probably wouldn't mind as much. As for the shrunken furniture - that was Billy's idea. He is a little voice in my head that controls my fingers when they're on the keyboard made that happen. Besides, it gave them a good bonding moment that showed how Dorea feels when Bill ignores her for, in his opinion, Dorea's own good. Well, yeah, it's her safe place. The Dursleys never entered it, so whatever happened in the cupboard was completely safe for Dorea, even if she was thrown in dangerously. It'll probably become a school for criminal girls instead of boys. Besides, Saint Brutus' probably didn't even exist, even in canon. If it did, then I imagine it would be a juvenile detention centre of sorts. Well, as for why Madam and Monsieur Delacour went so far in their threat to Fleur will be explained in this chapter, before breakfast. Probably from Madam Delacour to Sierra, since they're both half-Veela. As to why they seem to like Dorea more, well, that'll be explained during the fourth book. *dodges chair* And this is the longest reply that I've ever written, too. I love writing the interludes, it gives me a point where everything in the chapter is my own and I can do whatever I want to it.**

**~O~O~O~**

Sierra woke up the next morning, groaned, went to roll over and fell off her bed. Grumbling, she sat up and glared at her blankets, which were in a giant tangle around her feet. Just her luck, she wouldn't be able to move an inch without tripping unless she managed to free her legs. Sighing, she got right on the job, grumbling about stupid sheets and unpredictable sleeping patterns. She almost had her legs free when someone knocked on the bedroom door. Knowing that Cat and Michaela were already downstairs and eating breakfast, Sierra popped her head over the bed.

"Come in!" she called out. The door opened to reveal Madam Delacour standing there. Sierra smiled. "Oh good, while we're talking you can help me finish untangling my legs." she pointed to her feet. Madame Delacour chuckled and went to go help Sierra out of her self-made trap.

"'Ou are tryeeng to 'elp Dame Potter and Monsieur Weasley get togezer, _non_?" she asked, focusing on the knot of blankets around Sierra's feet. Sierra blinked.

"Yeah, my friends and I are, but I think Dorea and Bill are getting closer to that stage just fine on their own." Sierra said. Madam Delacour smiled and chuckled before looking up at Sierra.

"Ma Fleur ees tryeeng to make Monsieur Weasley her Mate, _mon cherie_." Madam Delacour said, a slightly sad tone to her voice. Sierra looked at her, confused. "Every man zat Fleur has met zat ees attractive, kind, and polite she 'as attempted to Mate. Monsieur Weasley ees not ze first man she has chased after." she sighed, looking at at Sierra's now understanding eyes. Madam Delacour could feel it too. "Ze love between Monsieur Weasley and Dame Potter ees so pure, so powerful, zat I know zat whatever Fleur tries weell not work." Sierra's jaw dropped. Did Mdam Delacour mean that -?

"Are you telling me that they're...?" Sierra trailed off, knowing that Madam Delacour would understand what she meant. The half French-Veela looked up from the now untangled bedsheets and nodded.

"Zat ees why I am telling 'ou, do not let ma Fleur, ma fille, succeed." the motherly half-Veela said, planting a kiss on Sierra's forehead. "Take care, and remember zat ze bond between zose two weell not be broken by ma Fleur's tryeengs." With that, the woman stood, turned on her heel, and left Sierra on the floor with plenty to think about, and plenty more to wonder about.

**~O~O~O~**

Bill was sitting in the circle, in between Lily and James like they had requested him to sit, eating his breakfast of a few pancakes, some sausage, and some scrambled eggs, and talking to James about how he and Lily had removed the blocks on Dorea, when the Great Hall doors opened and Dorea walked in. Heads turned and jaws dropped as they saw the girl walk towards the circle. Today, Dorea was wearing a crimson, asymmetrical sleeveless shirt that appeared to be made of silk, a little black skirt that was folded slightly, black kitten heel boots that reached her knees, skin coloured nylons, and her hair was straightened, her bangs almost covering her right eye and flipping out a little at the ends. She was wearing bare minimum makeup, consisting of eyeliner, mascara, and a touch of concealer to hid the dark circles that came with her lack of sleep. Yet it was none of this that caught Bill's attention. What caught Bill's attention was the necklace, bracelet, and ring set that Dorea was wearing with the outfit. Lily smiled at her daughter and sat her down in Bill's lap. Bill could only stare at Dorea in shock, he never thought Dorea would ever actually wear the jewellery he made for her as his final NEWTs project for Arithmancy and Ancient Ruins. He grinned and squeezed her tightly, making her squeak a little and look up at him.

"I didn't think you'd like them." he muttered, blushing a little. Dorea grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"How could I not love them? They're beautiful." she whispered in his ear, paused, and kissed his cheek in thanks. Bill felt his face burn bright red as Lily giggled and James laughed, while Dorea turned back and grabbed the plate of food her mother had helped Bill prepare for her. Bill felt his face stretch into a silly grin as he touched the tingling skin were Dorea had kissed him. She kissed him! She kissed him! James slapped Bill's shoulder and grinned at the man.

"If you were anyone else I'd be threatening you to take care of my daughter properly, but I know that you will." James grinned, confusing Bill. Making sure that Dorea wouldn't hear what he was about to say(she was deep in conversation with her mother over something or other), he mockingly glared at James.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about." he muttered, not noticing that he was hugging Dorea close to his chest, not knowing that his heart was pounding wildly at the contact he had with Dorea, not knowing that he was slowly falling in love with the petite girl. He didn't see the murderous glare that Fleur was sending Dorea, or the thumbs ups that Michaela and Charlie were both sending Lily, their co-conspirator. Umbridge cleared her throat and held up the book. Dorea turned with a small piece of bacon sticking out of her mouth to look at the toad, her nose scrunching up in distaste. The toad really needed a fashion check... She eyed everyone with distaste before speaking.

"Would someone like to read?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice. Sirius raised his hand, waving it wildly.

"I will! I will! _I will_!" he shouted, making everyone that knew that man-child laugh at his actions. Umbridge scowled, and levitated the book over to Sirius. While she was under arrest, she hadn't been chained up like the Minister had. Mainly because only one person could be held by someone's magical chains at once. Sirius flipped open to the next chapter and grinned, knowing that this one would be good.

**~CHAPTER TEN HALLOWEEN~** he read. Ron immediately groaned, stood up, and walked t the Gryffindor table. He wasn't going to get screamed at by his mother, have books thrown at him by Hermione, getting whacked over the head by Dorea, and beaten up by Susan. Hell, those girls in that circle were scary as hell.

**~Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Dorea and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.~**

"Of course he was surprised, he didn't expect either of you to able to get away." Blaise snorted from his seat next to Theo. He had gotten sick of Malfoy's complaining and decided to sit with his friend in the circle, much to the surprise of the others there. They apparently didn't think that more than three Slytherins could be friends.

**~Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one.~**

"It's a Potter thing, we chase after adventure and danger." James shrugged. Hermione glared at Dorea.

"Told you that you go looking for trouble." she grumbled. Dorea threw Hermione an affronted looked.

"I don't go looking for trouble, it sits around and waits for me to stumble into it!" she shouted, waving her hands wildly. James and Lily both had the duck to avoid getting hit accidentally by Dorea.

**~In the meantime, Dorea had filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.~**

Lily grinned and opened her mouth to speak, only for it to be covered by Dorea's hand.

"It took us _months_ to figure it out, you don't get to say anything!" she growled, making Lily's grin widen, but she nodded all the same. Unknown to Dorea or Bill, she had charmed their clothing to stick together until after the reading this day was done with, meaning Dorea would be stuck in Bill's lap no matter what she tried.

**~"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.~**

"Or both, Ron." Bill said. Sirius grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Bill.

**~"Or both." said Dorea.~**

The two both blushed as Fred wolf whistled, though many boys in the Hall that had a crush on Dorea were currently glaring at Bill, with many girls that found Bill attractive glaring at Dorea. He/She was going to be _theirs_, dammit!

**~But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.~**

"Good." Nicholas and Perenelle sighed, hoping against hope that Dorea and Ron didn't go to far into danger to save their Stone. They had been friends with the Lady and Lord Potter of their time, and they knew just how much danger those with Potter blood running through their veins could cause.

**~Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.~**

"Damn right I wasn't! I _still_ think you three are short a few screws for the end of the year!" Neville said, jokingly getting hit over the head by Dorea.

**~Hermione was now refusing to speak to Dorea and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.~**

Said two flinched as Molly and Lily opened their mouths to scold them. Hermione, however, decided to save her friends from the earfull and humiliation.

"I really was a stuck-up know-it-all, Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Potter." she said, causing both redheaded mothers to stop the scolding before it even began.

**~All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.~**

Those who knew what the package that Dorea received that week cheered loudly, the Quidditch players and fans being much louder than the others.

**~As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Dorea was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of her, knocking most of her bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.**

**Dorea ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

_**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.**_

_**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one.**_

_**Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.**_

**_Professor McGonagall_~**

"Uh, being carried by six screech owls isn't exactly inconspicuous, Minnie." Remus said, making the Transfiguration professor glare at him.

"And I thought you were the most sensible of your little group. Minnie indeed." she sniffed angrily, making Sierra brighten.

"So that's how you sniff angrily!" she said, imitating McGonagall the exact way that the elder woman had just moments ago.

**~Dorea had a ton of difficulty hiding her glee as she handed the note to Ron to read.**

**"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even _touched_ one."~**

"With good reason." Malfoy snickered, only for Dorea to send him an icy glare, seeing as she had heard what he said.

**~They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Dorea and felt it.~**

Michaela fell over in laughter, making Dan shake his head at the girl.

"Out of the gutter, Michaela." he reminded. Michaela grinned up at her childhood friend.

"Past the gutter, it's in the sewer!" she hollered, making everyone who understood what she meant either grin wildly and laugh with her, or shake their heads in shame at the actions of the perverted 15 year old.

**~"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Dorea with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."~**

"Unless you're Dorea bloody Potter." Parkinson grumbled. Dorea smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at the pug-like girl.

"Youngest seeker in a century, puggy." she reminded, making everyone who understood what she meant snort in laughter.

"Greatest seeker Gryffindor's ever had." Oliver added, grinning as he remembered watching Dorea fly around on the Nimbus before he even began practising with her. She had looked stunning, her hair flying behind her, that look of freedom on her face...

"That wins every match that isn't interrupted by soul-sucking monsters." Angelina added, making both Oliver and Dorea deflate at the mention of that match in the final year that Oliver had been captain.

**~Ron couldn't resist it.**

**"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned slyly at Dorea. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."~**

All the Quidditch fans and players nodded in agreement, a Nimbus was much better for a Beater or a Seeker, where speed was more necessary that durability. But for Keepers and Chasers, where they were constantly getting bludgers hit at them or other players nearly hitting them, they needed the durability just as badly as they needed speed. In that section, while Cleansweeps were slower than Nimbuses, they had equal amounts of durability that the Nimbus line lacked.

**~"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."~**

Everyone who like the Weasleys stood up and glared at Malfoy, Dore still stuck against Bill. When they tried to separate, they found that they couldn't, much to Dorea's anger. She preferred the ability to get up and walk around as she pleased, thank you _very_ much! Giving up, the both slouched down on the couch, Dorea resting her head against Bill's chest and sliding down as much as she could so her head was closer to his stomach. Lily giggled at the two while everyone else in the circle didn't have the same reservations, several of them falling onto the floor and rolling around in laughter. Once Sirius regained his control, he sat back on the couch and continued reading, James and Remus rolling around at his feet. Dorea glared at her mother.

"You did this, didn't you?" she asked. Lily smiled at Dorea cheekily.

"Don't worry, you two will be unstuck at the end of the day." she sang. Sirius began to read before Dorea could say something else.

**~Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.**

**"Not arguing, I hope, boys, Miss Potter?" he squeaked.~**

"Now why would we do that?" all the Gryffindors and Slytherins in the circle chorused, making the rest of the Hall snort in laughter.

"Besides the fact that your houses hate each other for no apparent reason?" Luna asked dreamily. Daphne stood up, walked over to Dorea, gave the girl a hug, and then walked back to her seat with a completely straight face.

"Did that look like we hate each other?" she deadpanned, and while everyone was busy picking their jaws off the floor, Dorea snatched the book from Sirius and picked up where he left off.

**~"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.**

**"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Dorea.~**

Dorea had an odd look on her face.

"I don't think you realize how odd it is to re-state something from the past in the third person." she muttered. Sirius pouted, stole the book back, and continued reading before Dorea could steal it from him again.

**~"Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

**"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Dorea, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face.~**

There were no reservations now as Dorea nearly flipped Bill over in her laughing fit.

**~"And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," she added quickly, before it looked like a last minute thought.~**

"Very Slytherin of you, Potter." Theo commented. Dorea shrugged.

"Almost sorted into Slytherin, remember?" she reminded, making James flinch a little at the idea. _A Potter in Slytherin... It had never been done! Ravenclaw, yeah. Hufflepuff, sure. Gryffindor, of course! But Slytherin? No!_

**~Dorea and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion at Dorea not getting in trouble.**

**"Well, it's true," Dorea chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Rememberall I wouldn't be on the team "~**

At that moment every single Slytherin turned and glared at Malfoy.

"It's _your_ fault that we haven't won against Gryffindor for the past 4, almost 5, years?" a seventh year growled. Sirius smiled happily as Malfoy was dragged from the Hall by a group of seventh year boys, the last of them to exit the Hall closing the giant doors behind him. Parkinson suddenly looked worried.

"What do you think they'll do to him?" she asked. Bulstrode snorted.

"Who cares?" she asked, waving her hand towards Sirius to make him continue reading.

**~"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them.~**

Hermione buried her face in her hands. Oh, she had been absolutely _horrid _back then!

**~Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Dorea's hand.**

**"I thought you weren't speaking to us." said Dorea, a little angry. Hermione had ignored Dorea every night in the dorms, and now that Dorea's pointed out the reason why she's on the Quidditch team she shows up to talk?**

**"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."~**

Ron winced as he was hit in the head by a plate thrown by Fay.

**~Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.~**

Hermione closed her eyes and bowed her head, letting her hair cover her face. Merlin, she had been horrible about everything back then!

**~Dorea had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on her lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where she'd be learning to play that night.~**

All the Seekers in the room sighed in contentment, remembering when they started Quidditch training. The other Quidditch players nodded in understanding, they knew exactly what Dorea was talking about. It was so hard to focus on anything else when you've got a new broom upstairs...

**~She bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.**

**"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Ron's bedspread.**

**Even Dorea, who knew absolutely nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.~**

Every single Quidditch fan or player got dreamy looks, Dorea's the most evident due to her memories of flying on that broomstick. Molly had to whack Sirius in order to get him to read again.

**~As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. She'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Dorea of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.~**

The muggleborns and raised all nodded in agreement, having thought exactly that when they saw them for the first time. To demonstrate what Dorea meant for the purebloods, Lily conjured up the bubble soap and a wand for her, James, Dorea, and Bill so they could star blowing bubbles all over the place. Needless to say, the wizards and witches started having fun enchanting the bubbles to take different shapes, colours, to fly all over the room, to never pop. Many of them were quite creative, Charlie hade one into an Unbreakable and animated dragon and handed it to Michaela to play with, Bill made a kitten for Dorea, and James made a bouquet of flowers for Lily, just to name some of the ideas that people came up with.

**~Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Dorea mounted her broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling - she swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever she wanted at her lightest touch.~**

Those who knew how well the Nimbus handled drooled at the description, wishing that they were flying around right now.

**~"Hey, Potter, come down!"**

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Dorea landed next to him.**

**"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."~**

"Three times a week -" Fred started.

"- How we miss you!" George finished. The three Gryffindor chasers nodded in agreement, while Dorea and Oliver blinked in surprise.

"I didn't mind the amount of practices, but the ones in the rain were horrible." she stated, while Oliver was just staring at the chasers and beaters in surprise.

"You do know that we're going to have to practice even more in order to beat the Bulgarians, right?" he asked, making those five groan while Dorea grinned wickedly.

"And we're gonna have to make up new strategies, new moves, how to react if those strategies and moves are broken by another player..." she listed, causing all five that were groaning to slam their heads on the table in front of them. Bill laughed and wrapped his arms around Dorea, only to notice that she hadn't eaten a bite of her breakfast. Bill poked her side, making her jump a little a squeak in surprise.

"Sweety, you've gotta eat." he whispered, pointing to the 3 waffles, the orange slices, scrambled eggs and bacon that were sitting on the plate in front of her. Dorea looked at the food like it was a mountain and sighed.

"I'm not really hungry, Bill." she whispered back. Bill snuggled up to Dorea, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Try to eat, for me?" he asked sweetly. Dorea blushed at the feeling of his breath on her neck, picked up a fork and ate a bit of her eggs. Sirius smirked at his goddaughter, mentally approving Bill for her, and continued reading.

**~He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.**

**"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."~**

The Chasers in the room all cheered.

**~"Three Chasers," Dorea repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.**

**"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"~**

McGonagall smiled as the muggleborn first years and the second years who still didn't understand the game were paying close attention, so as to remember this for the matches that they would watch this year. The misfits had already learned this from Oliver last night, and the Dursleys, minus Dudley, weren't paying attention. Dudley, on the other hand, was genuinely interested in a sport that his cousin played well in, a sport played 50 feet in the air.

**~"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Dorea recited. "So - that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"~**

Hermione nodded, in that sense, it really was.

**~"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously.~**

"It's a muggle sport with two nets, one ball, and five players per team. I really don't understand the positions, but pretty much the idea is the get the basketball through the opposing team's net to earn 2 points, 3 if you're behind a certain line. At the end of 40 minutes, the team that has the most points wins." Hermione said, shrugging. "There are a ton of other rules that go along with it, like rules on travelling, double-dribbling, fouling, boundaries, and on almost everything that there is in the game, but I don't want to get into that at the moment." Many of the purebloods looked confused at the well known muggle terms, but didn't question them.

**~"Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

**"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper~**

Now the Keepers in the Hall started to cheer for their position.

**~- I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."**

**"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Dorea, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.**

**"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Dorea a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.~**

"How'd she do?" George asked, leaning forwards. Oliver grinned.

"She'd make a fair Beater with a bit of training, but she just doesn't have the stature for the position." he said, making Dorea shrug.

"I even took the potions to cancel the effects that malnutrition had on my body, and all it did was make my chest grow bigger." she stated solemnly having seriously hoped before she had taken that potion that she would grow at least a few extra inches. Oliver groaned and facepalmed, he really did not want to hear her say something like that! Ron groaned just as loud.

"Could you stop talking like that? It feels dirty..." he whined, glaring at his younger pseudo-sister. Dorea smiled impishly at Ron.

"Well, maybe if you hid Seamus' PlayWitch better than just under your pillow, I wouldn't talk like this to begin with." she replied, making Molly send Ron a hex for reading a magazine that she specifically banned from her household so as to keep Ginny innocent to the dirty world of adult men.

**~"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."**

**He showed Dorea two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Dorea noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.~**

"That would be because they are."

"Well I know that now, don't I?"

**~"Stand back," Wood warned Dorea. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.**

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Dorea's face. Dorea swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air -~**

"Pretty decent, you'd probably make a good reserve for our team." Fred said seriously. If there was one thing he and George took seriously besides their pranks, it was their Quidditch positions and how to play them.

**~it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.**

**"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team~**

The Beaters now cheered for their positions, the Weasley Twins standing and doing their 'Beater Dance', which consisted of jumping up and down and hitting imaginary bludgers out of the air.

**~- the Weasley twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"**

**"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Dorea reeled off, understanding it perfectly so far.~**

The ones who were having the sport explained to them as well nodded, beginning to see why this sport was such a big deal to wizards.

**~"Very good," said Wood.**

**"Er - have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Dorea asked warily, hoping she sounded offhand.~**

"Reasonable question, no need to be ashamed." Oliver shrugged, not really caring. He had asked the same question when he had begun to play as Keeper, though his was more along the lines of _'Will those bloody things kill me?'_

**~"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers -"**

**"- unless they crack my head open."~**

"Or break my elbow after being fixed." Dorea grumbled darkly. "Still haven't strangled Lockhart for what he did to my arm, either..."

**~"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers - I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."~**

Fred and George sniffled dramatically.

"Why Ollie Pop, we're so complimented!" the said, Oliver groaning.

"Why do you call me that again?" he asked. George grinned wickedly.

"Because we caught your girlfriend licking your lollipop in a broom closet remember?" he snickered, everyone in the circle either laughing themselves so hard that they nearly wet themselves, or looking distinctly ruffled and affronted at George's language.

"So she stacked the Wood and decided to polish his wand?" Dorea asked innocently as she recovered from her hysterics, only to send almost everyone further into them. Molly glared at the Twins. They had tainted Dorea's purity. Bill, on the other hand, was clearly about to die from laughing so hard. Dorea was so pure, but she could talk so dirty at the same time? Who knew?

Once the hysterics calmed down and Oliver stopped grumbling about laps, Sirius started reading again albeit chuckling. He, the Twins, and those Gryffindor boys had corrupted his goddaughter, but still left her with some sense of innocence! He was so proud. Michaela, on the other hand, was glaring at Dan.

"So you yell at _me_ for the gutter, but not her?" she growled. Dan shrugged and looked at Michaela.

"She is clearly good friends with a bunch of guys, while the only guys friends you have are me and Dante, and Dante's gay." he muttered. Michaela, still glaring, huffed and turned away, instead picking up a conversation about dragons and how to take care of them with Charlie, while playing with her bubble dragon. It was just so _cute_!

**~Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.~**

The Seekers all grinned at the mention of the Snitch.

**~"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win.~**

"He's saying that like the seekers are the most important part of the game." Cat said, a little confused. Krum shrugged.

"Vell, you do need at least one Seeker to play the game, but it vould be very boring to vatch two people fly around for what can be hours, searching for the golden Snitch. I think that there is a muggle game called golf that's around as boring." he stated, making Cat nod in understanding. That made much more sense now.

**~That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.~**

"That would be brilliant to play." Dorea moaned, drooling a little at the thought of playing that match. Hermione nodded.

"And to watch. Could you imagine how high the scores must have gotten before the game ended?" she asked, looking at Ron. He nodded.

"The scores were 15,530 to 15,540. Greatest match in the history of Quidditch." he said, drooling as he remembered the headlines from when he was 4.

**~"Well, that's it any questions?"**

**Dorea shook her head. She understood what she had to do all right; it was doing it that was going to be the problem.~**

Cho snorted.

"You're Dorea bloody Potter, having you _on_ a Quidditch team ought to be cheating!" she huffed, while Dorea smiled for the compliment.

"Why thank you!"

**~"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."**

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Dorea were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Dorea to catch. Dorea didn't miss a single one,~**

Everyone cheered.

**~even the final two where they were thrown in two different directions at once, and Wood was clearly more than ecstatic.~**

Oliver nodded while Krum was staring at Dorea in shock.

"She was brilliant, and that was only her first training session!" he announced. Krum groaned loudly and looked pitifully at Dorea.

"Please never play professionally." he requested. Dorea smiled at him.

"Depending in the outcome of our match depends on whether I play professionally or not."

**~After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.**

**"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year,"~**

Dorea shifted in her seat, a little uncomfortable. Wood smiled sadly at Dorea.

"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't play because you were in the hospital wing. None of us blame you for that." he said softly, leaning over and touching Dorea's knee. Bill felt a wave of possessiveness and anger towards Oliver, up until he removed his hand. Once it was gone, Bill only felt confused. Why had he reacted like _that_?

**~said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."~**

"Why thank you, Ollie." Charlie grinned, making Oliver groan.

"Not you too!"

**~Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Dorea could hardly believe it when she realized that she'd already been at Hogwarts two months.**

**The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had.~**

Michaela looked down at her lap sadly. She understood what Dorea meant, having to face similar treatment with her own father, siblings, and step-mother. Her only escape was her clan, and even then she wasn't treated equally because she was half human. Upon seeing her downcast expression, Charlie wrapped his arms around Michaela, looking slightly at her clan mark. It was beautiful, so she belonged to the dragon keeper clan that moved from Romania to France a few hundred years ago.

**~Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.~**

Everyone except the first years nodded, while those who hadn't pouted. They hadn't gotten to the more exciting stuff yet!

**~On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.**

**Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.~**

Dorea chuckled, remembering Seamus' attempts that day. Well, she had found a use for that hat, after all...

**~Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Dorea's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch her eye).~**

"Sorry, Neville!"

"It's alright, I probably would've cut you instead of levitating the feather, anyway."

**~Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this.~**

"_I_ was!" both said, then turned to glare at each other as Dorea laughed.

**~She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Dorea's broomstick had arrived.**

**"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."~**

Bill snickered at Charlie's sheepish expression while Flitwick sighed.

"I did warn you, Mister Weasley, but you had to go and have the buffalo destroy my classroom." he squeaked, making everyone who thought it hadn't been true either stare at Charlie in shock, or in Dorea's case, point and laugh at him while Michaela attempted to calm him down.

**~It was very difficult. Dorea and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Dorea had to put it out with her hat.~**

"Well, _that's_ one use for those hats." Ron shrugged from his table.

**~Once Seamus saw Dorea levitate it an inch or so above the desk, he made a deal with Dorea for her to help him get it right and not blow something else up in his face and he wouldn't tell professor Flitwick that she managed it.~**

Hermione looked at her lap - and she had been about to brag about how she had done it first, before she heard what Ron said, at least.

**~Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.**

**"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.~**

Everyone who had seen that laughed, remembering the face he had made while doing it.

**~"You're saying it wrong," Dorea heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."~**

"You don't have to be rude about it, dear." Lily said kindly, knowing how Hermione was. The kind that turned to books to be their friends and didn't really have any social skills. Hermione blushed and looked at a window.

"I've gotten better after that Halloween." she said. Bill perked up.

"Say, how did you three become friends? Right now it looks like you hate each other." he said. Dorea grinned up at him.

"It's in this chapter, you don't have to worry about that much longer." she said, making Bill sigh. At least he would find out the answer in the next hour. His eyes then narrowed on Dorea's plate. She had eaten half of a waffle and the eggs, but nothing else. Bill poked Dorea's side and glared at her a little.

"Eat before I feed you again." he threatened, making Dorea blush a little and continue eating her waffle. In truth, she was still a little full from eating one of the cakes that had been under preservation charms last night.

**~"You do it, then, it you're so clever." Ron snarled.~**

"Wrong thing to say, and I know it!" Ron shouted out before anyone could hit him.

**~Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"**

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

**"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"**

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.~**

"Because almost everyone else listened to Hermione and did it as well." Parvati sniggered, grinning widely as Ron glared at her. Payback for ruining her Yule Ball experience.

**~"It's no wonder no one can really stand her," he said to Dorea as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "She's a nightmare, honestly."~**

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" Molly screeched. Hermione waved her wand, tying Molly down and silencing her.

"Yeah, it was a little rude, but he didn't want me to hear it." she said sadly. Ron groaned out something that sounded like he was saying "Sorry", having been hexed black and blue by the girls that shared a dorm with Hermione and Dorea.

**~Someone knocked into Dorea as they hurried past her. It was Hermione. Dorea caught a glimpse of her face - and was very startled and angered to see that she was in tears.~**

"O _'at's_ 'hy 'e 'it 'e" Ron muttered through fat lips. (translation: "So _that's_ why she hit me.")

**~"I think she heard you."**

**"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."~**

Hermione winced a little at the mention.

**~Dorea just glared at Ron before whacking him violently over the head with her Charms text.**

**"_You_!" Whack. "_Are_!" Whack whack whack. "_A_!" Whack. "_Prick_!" Whack. "_And_!" Whack whack. "_Will_!" Whack. "_Apologize_!" Whack. "_To_!" Whack. "_Hermione_!" Whack whack. "_When_!" Whack. "_You_!" Whack. "_See_!" Whack. "_Her_!" Whack whack whack, whack whack.~**

The Weasleys all started laughing - so _that's_ how Dorea got Ron to learn how to be as tactful as he was today, by whacking him over the head with books.

**~Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Dorea and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, even more so as Dorea's glares intensified, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.~**

Molly shook her head, but Hermone shrugged.

"I didn't see the Halloween feast until Third Year, so I can't accept or deny why you forgot about me." she said. Dorea smiled.

"The description will probably be next." she replied, making Hermione nod.

**~A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter.~**

"Understandable. I forgive you two." Hermione nodded, feeling a bit of awe as she thought about it. She then looked at Dumbledore. "Will we be having the vote to celebrate Samhain or Halloween soon this year?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"The vote will be next week in your first class on Monday." he stated, making everyone nod. Every year, the school held a vote to see what would be celebrated that year, muggle holidays or wizarding holidays. The muggle holidays always won by a vote or two, but otherwise they were relatively equal and a close contest.

**~The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.**

**Dorea was just helping herself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."~**

"There was a WHAT in the dungeons?" everyone who hadn't been in Hogwarts that year shouted, horrified by the idea. A troll in the dungeons? Bill, however, narrowed his eyes on the book. Why hadn't Quirrel been at the feast, could he have let the troll in? But what for? Unless... Unless he wanted the Stone, which was probably hidden in the Third Floor Corridor! Bill's eyes flicked to the Flamels, who were muttering to each other. Yes, that was probably it... Now to test the defences...

**~He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.~**

People started shouting that he was a coward, making Sirius to wait before he could continue reading.

**~There was an uproar while Dorea looked at Quirrel curiously. Did people normally faint falling forwards?~**

"No, no they do _not_." Madam Pomfrey growled, mentally berating herself for not noticing that.

**~There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.~**

"Wait, why purple?" Percy asked, a little confused. He hadn't spoken much since he had found out Umbridge had been spiking his juice with the potion form of the Imperius Curse, and his behaviour had been a little... _Quirky_. Dumbledore chuckled and pointed at Remus.

"That one," he said, smiling a little. "Would always turn something in my office purple. Like Lady Potter, he could always guess me password." he said, while James and Sirius 'psshaw'ed.

"We could all guess your password, Dumbles." they said, waving off Dumbledore's accusations. Sirius' gaze darkened a little.

"Except Peter." he growled. There was a bit of an awkward silence before Sirius turned back to the books, continuing that the more exciting part of the chapter.

**~"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"~**

"The more people in a certain place would mean a stronger scent, and the dormitories have their entrances enchanted that people or creatures intending harm without the password cannot enter." Dumbledore explained to Amelia, who looked as though she was about to say something. She nodded, looking out at the students. Astoria leaned onto her older sister's shoulder.

"But where did the Slytherins go?" Astoria whispered to her sister. Daphne shrugged.

"We went to the library instead."

**~Percy was in his element.~**

Percy had the decency to look sheepishly at the plate in front of him when people started whispering.

**~"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"~**

"He really was in his element." Sierra said, shaking her head. Did Percy really believe that, just because he was a prefect, meant that the troll would leave him alone if he came across it?

**~"How could a troll get in?" Dorea asked as they climbed the stairs.**

**"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."~**

"Nopesie nope nope! I was helpings the professors to try and finds the beastie!" Peeves sang, dumping a wastebasket onto Ron's head. He took Ron's suggestion as a bit of an insult, why he had do things that would hurt someone if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, he would never do something that would hurt people if they were in the right place at the right time.

**~They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Dorea suddenly grabbed Ron's arm, terror dancing in her eyes.**

**"I've just thought - Hermione."~**

"She doesn't know!" Dante shouted, panicking a little. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Didn't know, _didn't _being the key word there." she corrected, making everyone who had been thinking the same thing blush. Oops...

**~"What about her?" Ron asked, confused.~**

"Charming." Susan growled, sending a Stinging Hex at Ron, who yelped as it hit his cheek.

**~"She doesn't know about the troll."**

**Ron bit his lip.**

**"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."~**

Everyone nodded in approval.

**~Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**

**"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Dorea behind a large stone griffin.**

**Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.~**

Everyone except Bill, Dorea, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and the Flamels looked at Snape suspiciously. What was he doing there when he should be with the others?

**~"What's he doing?" Dorea whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**

**"Search me."**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.**

**"He's heading for the third floor," Dorea said, but Ron held up his hand.**

**"Can you smell something?"**

**Dorea sniffed and a foul stench reached her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.~**

People gagged at the description, sometimes Dorea's descriptive abilities weren't exactly favourable.

**~And then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.~**

"Sounds a bit like a muggle horror movie." Bill whispered, having gone to see one with the other Weasley children for Dorea's birthday this past summer.

**~It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.~**

Everyone who knew what a troll looked like nodded in agreement, while Ron, Dorea, and Hermione scrunched their noses. They didn't want to see another troll in a bathroom ever again, thank you very much.

**~The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.~**

Hermione froze, remembering hearing the troll walk in.

**~"The key is in the lock," Dorea said, looking at the door. _They really shouldn't lock it in, though, since that was..._**

**However, Ron had already edged towards the open door, clearing praying that the troll wasn't about to come out of it. Before Dorea could stop him, he managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.**

**"_Yes_!"~**

"No!" Hermione, Ron, and Dorea all shouted, Ron seriously regretting those actions. Then again, if he hadn't done that, he never would've become friends with Hermione to begin with.

**~Flushed with his victory, Ron grabbed the key and began to run back up the passage, leaving Dorea behind in pure horror. _That room was -_ Dorea's thoughts were cut off by a sound that made not only hers, but also Ron's, heart stop - a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber that Ron had just locked up.**

**"_Nooo_..." Ron groaned, pale as the Bloody Baron.~**

Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive, I never thought someone alive could achieve becoming that pale." he said. Dorea shrugged.

"There's a muggle saying that goes ' as pale as a ghost', it's talking about someone or something that has all the colour drained from it." she explained. "I guess I just morphed it to something that would fit Hogwarts."

**~"It's the girls' bathroom!" Dorea shrieked, angry and terrified.**

**"Hermione!" they shouted together.**

**It was the last thing that Ron wanted to do, Dorea as well, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, Ron sprinted back to the door, reinserted the key and turned it, fumbling in their panic. Dorea pulled the door open and they ran inside.**

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as though she was about to faint from a mixture of shock and terror.~**

Hermione nodded, she almost did.

**~The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.**

**"Confuse it!" Dorea said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.~**

People snickered as they remembered what Dorea said before about being able to speak troll. **_"Oh yeah, it's real easy. And trolls understand basic things too - shouting, running, throwing faucets and pipes at their heads, to name a few things..."_** So _that's_ what she meant.

**~The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Dorea. It hesitated, then made for her instead, lifting its club as it went.~**

Lily and James both paled, squeezing Dorea rightly as Bill hugged her closer to him. The same thing repeated itself over and over in their heads; _She got away alright, she lived through this, she got away alright..._

**~"Oi, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Dorea time to run around it.**

**"Come on, run, run!" Dorea yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.~**

No one blamed Hermione for reacting like that - how would they react if they had been in the loo and suddenly a troll came bursting in?

**~The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.~**

Seamus and Dean, both of whom were sitting near Ron, grabbed his shoulders tightly and squeezed them, reassuring themselves that Ron was alive.

**~Dorea then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:~**

The Gryffindors groaned, understanding exactly why they had a reputation of being reckless now.

**~She took a great running jump and managed to fasten her arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Dorea hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Dorea's wand had still been in her hand when she'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.~**

"Firstly, _eeew_. Secondly, so _that's_ what Ron meant by practice when you did that to Vernon." Lily muttered into Dorea's stomach, having leaned down and pressed her head against her daughter's abdomen to reassure herself that Dorea had been alright.

**~Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Dorea clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip her off or catch him a terrible blow with the club. Suddenly the troll grabbed one of Dorea's flying ankles, hoisting her so that she was dangling upside down. It swung its club to where her head would have been, had she not tucked into a tight ball.**

**"DO SOMETHING!" she screamed, dodging another blow from the troll.**

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "_Wingardium_ _Leviosa_!"~**

"You can't do that spell!" several people shouted, making Ron groan.

"_Couldn't_, people, _couldn't_!" he shouted back, making them blush and shut up, letting Sirius continue.

**~The club suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot, dropped Dorea onto the ground, and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.~**

"A troll about to kill your best friend is an excellent source of motivation." Ron stated knowingly to the disbelieving stares he was receiving.

**~Dorea slowly got to her feet. She was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.**

**It was Hermione who spoke first.**

**"Is it - _dead_?"**

**"I don't think so," said Dorea, "I think it's just been knocked out."**

**She bent down and pulled her wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.~**

"Ew, troll booger." James said, crinkling his nose.

**~"Urgh - troll boogies."~**

James and Dorea smiled at each other.

**~She wiped it on the troll's trousers.~**

"So _that's_ why she asked for a disinfecting charm during dinner in the Common Room." Alicia mutter, shaking her head slightly. George suddenly nodded.

"Better option than your own trousers, or in your case, skirt." he stated, Dorea nodding in agreement. Everyone else, however, was still a little numb to what was going on around them, unless it was the book. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione fought a troll in their first year... And lived.

**~A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.~**

Dorea, Ron, and Hermione all glared icily at the book. Coward, they all thought, Cowardly bastard.

**~Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Dorea. Dorea had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.~**

"I was angry because they just risked their lives to, what it looked like, find the troll!" McGonagall shouted to defend herself. "I hadn't known that Miss Granger was not at the Feast!"

**~Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Dorea's mind.~**

People sent her inquisitive looks, all of which Dorea ignored.

**~"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Dorea looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

**Snape gave Dorea a swift, piercing look. Dorea looked at the floor. She really wished Ron would put his wand down.~**

Ron blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"I was in shock that I had just knocked out a mountain troll..." he said, Dean and Seamus nodding understandably. Anyone would be frozen after that, especially if they were a first year.

**~Then a small voice came out of the shadows.**

**"Please, Professor McGonagall they were looking for me."**

**"Miss Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

**"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."**

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?~**

"Had you told my the truth I wouldn't have given out any punishments." McGonagall said, making Hermione look down at her lap.

"I know that now, but we didn't know you as well back then, we thought that - well, that you would punish Ron for being the reason I wasn't at the feast in the first place." she muttered, George wrapping an arm around her to calm her down. In return, Hermione buried her face into his shoulder. McGonagall's eyes softened at the sight, Hermione was, in all honesty, one of her favourite pupils, and the idea of her punishing Ron for that would be reasonable.

**~"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Dorea stuck her wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."~**

"That bit was true, though." Hermione said from George's shoulder.

**~Dorea and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.~**

"Surprisingly, it didn't." McGonagall stated, glaring at Snape, who had suggested that Hermione was lying and that Dorea had chased down the troll instead of it being Hermione.

**~"Well - in that case " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"**

**Hermione hung her head. Dorea was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.~**

Snape glared at the hopeful eyes.

"_Never_ going to happen." he stated, making Dorea laugh. She knew that was going to happen the moment someone would even suggest the idea, even back in her first year.

**~"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall then turned to Dorea and Ron.**

**"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."~**

"Only five points each for knocking out a _mountain_ _troll_?" Remus asked. McGonagall blushed.

"When the shock of the matter passed, I awarded Gryffindor 50 points in total as to reward them for their bravery." she explained. Snape huffed. Only McGonagall would award her House points for doing something so reckless and dangerous.

**~They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

**"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.**

**"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's." Dorea corrected.**

**"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we _did_ save her."**

**"She might not have _needed_ saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Dorea reminded him.~**

"If _I_ hadn't, Dorea. You didn't have time to stop me." Ron corrected. Dorea shrugged.

"Po-tae-toe, po-tah-toe." she said. Bill's eyes once again found their way to Dorea's plate, where half her food was still resting on it, uneaten. Bill growled a little, sliced up her waffle some more, and held a piece up to her mouth.

"I warned you, now eat." he said, seeing Dorea's bright red face at the idea of once again being fed by, not that he knew, her love. She slowly opened her mouth, her eyes never leaving Bill's as he began to feed her.

Neither noticed the way that Fleur was nearly ripping her seat apart - and the worst thing was, her mother had gotten rid of all her love potions when she was asleep, meaning she didn't have _anything_ to make Bill fall in love with her with!

Sirius smiled a little at the two before he continued reading, Bill still feeding Dorea her breakfast.

**~They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

**"Pig snout," they said and entered.~**

"Was that because I would make her laugh so hard that she opened the entrance?" Tonks asked inocently, changing her nose to that of a pig's. "Because that's the only thing I can think of."

**~The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.~**

People shook their heads. They should have known that Hermione wouldn't become their friend in some normal way.

**~But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.~**

Sirius closed the book as snickers rang through the Hall. He held it out to Arthur, who happily accepted it. He flipped to the next page and raised an eyebrow at the title.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 13,538**

**Less that I hoped it would be, but oh well. Th reason I'm posting this so early today is because we had to evacuate my school - there had been a gas leak that was going to take a few hours to fix. So, I got home at 2, worked on this for 2 1/2 hours, edited it, and am now posting it. So, to recap what happened in the interlude that didn't get mentioned or was only brushed upon - Dorea had all her blocks removed, so her performance in classes should be improving. She also has full access to her magical abilities, including Parseltongue, which she will keep due to it being from her father's family line, Mage Sense, and her abilities in Mind Magic. She will be working to get her Mind Magic to a level where Voldemort won't be able to invade her mind, she's not a natural at Occlumency like some stories have Harry.**

**Review Count: 205**

**AWESOME, GUYS! I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW HAPPY I AM RIGHT NOW!**

**Review Goal: 230**


	13. Book 1: Chapter 11

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**~O~O~O~**

**LM Ryder: Didn't even think about that, but since Ron's in his fifth year now, it's expected that he would be able to perform the hover charm. I might do that, or Snape might completely flip out on Malfoy for saying it. One of the two.**

**meriland25: The ghosts aren't mentioned that much because they never really play that big a role in the story, they will, however, have quite a bit to say when Dorea loses 150 points for being caught out of bed after hours. I'm trying to update as quickly as I can, so don't hate me if the updates take a while!**

**bloomnskyrules: Why thank you very much. I totally came up with that on the cute image of them attempting to un-stick themselves, only for their clothes to stretch a bit but keep together. They were hoping that Dorea didn't get into too much danger while trying to save the Stone, Dumbledore did inform them that Dorea managed to save the Stone. As for how they're still alive, that will just have to wait until Dumbledore says that the Stone was destroyed. Dorea and Bill will get together in the sixth book, Bill and Fleur never got together. Instead of it being Bill and Fleur, it's gonna be Michaela and Charlie. No, Fleur will not be using love potions.**

**gsferal: Fleur almost lost it, when she does lose it will probably be like, right after Dorea and Bill get together. And I don't mind that you're a horrible reviewer, I can only review on stories that I'm determined to follow until the end. Other than that I can't review it, so I understand what you're talking about when you say you're planning on following this story until the end.**

**917brat: I loved that idea, and with Dorea's past it only makes sense. Plus she's a girl, so she's more sensitive to things like that when it comes to other girls. And don't worry, even Ron will notice the way Dorea and Bill dance around each other before they get together. I'm thinking about making him threaten Dorea to make her confess to Bill... Dorea's reaction would probably be something along the lines of a mixture of pure shock and horror. Again, thank you for the compliment!**

**griffindork93: Just to let you know, I almost had a panic attack when you didn't review right after the last chapter was posted. I got so used to it that I thought something must have happened to you to keep you from reviewing right away! talk about relief when I checked my ipod in the morning and saw that you had reviewed. Percy really would've been a great character in the books, especially after he wakes up and sees what was going on around him. Fleur attempted to Mate around 10-20 men before Bill, and none of the relationships lasted mainly because Fleur was underage. After she became of age, it was because the men started to see how self-centred and immature Fleur really was, and they didn't want someone like that to have a relationship with. I had fun writing that part, and poor, poor Ron, he gets hurt no matter where he sits... Pffft, who am I kidding, I love doing that! Yeah, I'm pretty mean to the characters at times. Yes, Blaisie does join the circle. What I meant was that they thought Slytherins, if they were friends, were in groups of 3, no more, no less, since it's a pretty magical number. The Lord and Lady Potter of the Flamel's time... I don't know yet. They might be important, but I'm not totally sure as of yet... As for the relationship between the Flamels and the Potters of that time, they were best friends and practically family. Oliver has a small crush on Dorea, but the rest of the Quidditch team sees Dorea as their baby sister that they want to protect. I put that scene in because the Slytherins had hoped that Dorea would never realize that it was thanks to one of their own that Dorea got onto the Quidditch team. As for why Slytherin was dragged out, it was mainly for an interrogation as to what Malfoy had been hoping to achieve when he attempted to break Neville's Rememberall. Dorea loves Quidditch because not only is it something that she's a natural at, but it's something that everyone wants her to be on their team for. Dorea was forced to become more analytic when she was a child so as to find a way to get around Dudley's gang and to Michaela's house for safety without being caught, and her playing style goes beyond catch the Snitch or die trying. She's split between what she wants to be, and at the moment her Quidditch career depends on whether she beats Krum or not. She wouldn't want to do something for a living where it wouldn't be a bit of a challenge for her, and if she beats Krum then she would know that she would have a much easier time playing against the other professional Seekers. But once she and Bill get together, she makes her mind by the 5th book to become a Curse Breaker. Well, trolls are stupid, so they wouldn't be great hunters, hich me think that they rely on their sense of smell in order to find their food. As such, the scent of humans would've been stronger in the Great Hall, which would make him more likely to go there first. This review is shorter, a lot shorter. I don't mind long review at all, the million and one questions ones are kinda fun to answer, too. And thank you, I take that as a serious compliment! Maybe two, maybe one and a half. Depends on how long it takes me to type out that books that aren't really on the internet.**

**~O~O~O~**

Arthur raised an eyebrow as he read the title of the next chapter.

**~CHAPTER ELEVEN QUIDDITCH~** he read, making all the Quidditch fanatics cheer and dance around, glad that they would finally hear about Dorea's first match. Dorea, on the other hand, tensed up slightly as she remembered the bucking broomstick. Hermione resembled a deer in headlights as she remembered the fact that she had set Snape on fire during this match. Bill could feel Dorea's tension, and wrapped his arms around her, a little worried. Dorea loved Quidditch, so why would she be so tense when it came to reading about her first match?

**~The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel.~**

The TriWizard Champions all shuddered at the memories of that lake.

"Tell me about it." Cedric grumbled, remembering how cold the lake was in February the previous school year.

**~Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots.**

**The Quidditch season had begun.~**

Needless to say, the cheers increased as every Quidditch fan joined the fanatics in the cheers.

**~On Saturday, Dorea would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.**

**Hardly anyone had seen Dorea play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Dorea should be kept, well, secret. But the news that she was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow,~**

Katie looked at the sky, blushing a little. She had told about Dorea during the Girls Night the week before, and apparently one of the seventh years that year had a loose tongue. So, in short, it was her fault that the secret had come out.

**~and Dorea honestly didn't know which was worse - people telling her that she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.~**

"I could have used that mattress." Dorea muttered, Neville nodding in agreement. He had been so terrified for the girl he had been starting to see as a sister, she had **looked so small from how high up she was, managing to stay on the bucking broomstick. Bill, Lily, and James all exchanged looks. Why would she need a mattress?**

**~It was really lucky that Dorea now had Hermione as a friend. She didn't know how she'd have gotten through all her homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent her _Quidditch Through the Ages_, which turned out to be a very interesting read.~**

Those who read that book all cheered, those who would only willingly read that book began cheering even louder.

**~Dorea learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473;~**

"That would've been a brilliant match to watch." James drooled, imagining how long that match must have taken.

**~that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them;~**

The Seekers that had faced Dorea all shuddered, remembering how well she could perform Wronski Feints. Dives were her specialty, all right.

**~that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.~**

"We still don't know vhy that happens." Levski said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the table in front of him. They really should try to prevent that from happening, it unnerved so many people into ...

**~Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Dorea and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Dorea's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.~**

"Impressive magic for a first year, that's a third year charm." Lily said happily, glad that someone other than herself could learn charms from higher years before she was even in those years.

**~They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Dorea noticed at once that Snape was limping.~**

Moody nodded appreciatively. "Noticing things like that could save your life one day, girlie." he growled, eying Snape. Why had he been limping?

**~Dorea, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed.~**

"As long as the fire is not inside and is controlled it is allowed." Sprout stated knowledgeably, glaring at Snape. Knowing ihm, he would deduct points for Dorea simply standing around.

**~Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.~**

"Of course he was." James growled, hugging Dorea tightly. Dorea seemed to relax a little and eased into her father's hug, still anxious about what was coming later in the chapter.

**~"What's that you've got there, Potter?"**

**It was _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Dorea showed him.**

**"Library books are not to be taken outside the school,"~**

"As long as students are taking care of the books, they are allowed anywhere in the school or on the grounds." Madam Pince said, glaring icily at Snape. He was attempting to step into her territory, and she would _not_ allow someone like _him_ to do something like _that_.

**~said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."~**

"Made up rule." Lily sneered, glaring at Snape. "Made up punishment."

**~"He just made that rule up," Dorea muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "I wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

**"I dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly, glaring at Snape as he left.~**

Molly opened her mouth to scold her youngest son, but Ron stopped her, sitting back down in between Hermione and Michaela.

"Insult my friends and I will say whatever I like. I refuse to apologize to someone who unjustly treats my best mates like dirt." Ron growled, making Hermione and Dorea beam at him in pride.

**~The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Dorea and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.~**

"I correct their errors in things such as grammar, spelling, or incorrect information, then make them copy it out over again." Hermione said, Dorea and Ron nodding in agreement. The professors nodded - so that's why Ron Weasley improved so much in his academics once he became friends with Hermione.

**~Dorea felt restless. She wanted _Quidditch Through the Ages_ back, to take her mind off her nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Snape?~**

"Uh, do we _need_ to go into the '666 Reasons Not to Cross Snape' again?" Ginny asked, Dorea huffing.

"_492_ of those reasons were developed once _I_ started taking his classes." she grumbled, causing her parents and Bill to growl and glare at Snape. Snape could understand why Lily and James were glaring at him, but he didn't know why Bill was as well. _Did the Curse Breaker have feelings towards the Potter bitch?_

**~Getting up, she told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.**

**"Better you than me," they said together, but Dorea had an idea that Snape wouldn't be able to refuse if there were other teachers listening.~**

"He wouldn't be able to refuse, since it is a library book and he had no jurisdiction to take it from you in the first place." Professor Babbling hissed, glaring at the man that she disliked ever since she started teaching at Hogwarts. He was bitter and cruel, everything she hated in a person.

**~She made her way down to the staff room and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.**

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside - and a horrible scene met her eyes. **

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone.~**

People were beginning to look as though they would vomit.

**~Snape was holding his robes above his knees.~**

Michaela and Charlie both mimed vomiting, while a first year actually had to hold back the vomit from the mental image. Dorea chuckled and shook her head, she, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones who knew what was coming next.

**~One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.~**

"Oh thank _Merlin_." Bill sighed, calming down a little. Dorea hadn't been tainted by something like that when she was 11, that was very good news.

**~"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"~**

"By being Dorea." Hermione remarked, dodging a hex that said girl sent at her friend, chuckling at Dorea's peeved face.

**~Dorea tried to shut the door quietly, but -**

**"POTTER!"~**

Everyone jumped as Mr. Weasley shouted, none of them used to the patient and kind man raising his voice - for anything, actually. Hearing him shout was very strange, indeed...

**~Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Dorea gulped.**

**"I just wondered if I could have my book back."~**

Remus stood and conjured up a trophy.

"And the award for Bravest First Year goes to Dorea Potter!" he announced. Dorea chuckled and reached for it, not being able to stand due to the sticking charm on her clothing. She wiped away a fake tear, sniffling her thanks and dedicating the award to everyone but Snape. Arthur chuckled at the girl's dramatics and continued reading.

**~"GET OUT! OUT!"**

**Dorea left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor.~**

"That's really smart..." Katie said, thinking to when Dorea lost Gryffindor 150 points. What had she been doing to lose that many points...? There had been a betting pool, and the most likely chance was that Dorea, Hermione, and Neville had been attempting to murder Mrs. Norris when Malfoy came with McGonagall, only for Malfoy to also get in trouble due to being out of bed at night as well.

**~She sprinted back upstairs to the Common Room.**

**"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Dorea joined them. "What's the matter?"**

**In a low whisper, Dorea told them what she'd seen.~**

"Of _course_ you tell them _everything_." Smith snarled. Ron glared at the boy.

"She doesn't tell _anyone_ everything." he growled fiercely, angered at the boy that was clearly trying to hurt his friend with his attitude. Smith shut up as everyone thought. What did Ron mean by Dorea not telling them everything, could it be that she kept most of her home life a secret from them? Parts of her adventures? Perhaps... Perhaps even what happened during the Third Task last June?

**~"You know what this means?" she finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"~**

"Wish I had taken you up on that bet." Ron grumbled while Dorea laughed at his output expression.

**~Hermione's eyes were wide.**

**"No - he would't," she said. "I know that he's not very nice to any of us, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."~**

Dumbledore and the Flamels nodded, hoping against hope that it didn't appear too much that Snape had been after the Stone.

**~"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Dorea. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"**

**Dorea went to bed with her head buzzing with the same question. Fay Dunbar was snoring loudly due to a head cold but Dorea couldn't sleep. She tried to empty her mind - she needed to sleep, she had to, she had her first Quidditch match in a few hours - but the expression on Snape's face when Dorea had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.~**

Lily cooed and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"My poor baby." she whispered, snuggling up to Dorea. The ravenette smiled as she snuggled back, it was nice, having a mother that cared so much for you like this.

**~The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

**"You've got to eat some breakfast." Hermione demanded.**

**"I don't want anything." Dorea retorted, staring dejectedly at her plate of food.**

**"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

**"I'm not hungry." Dorea insisted. ~**

Bill shook his head as some toast appeared in front of Dorea. The girl looked ill at the thought of eating it, but after seeing her mother's, father's and his own gazes she grudgingly began to eat it, mumbling something about already being full.

**~Dorea felt terrible. In an hour's time she'd be walking onto the field.**

**"Dorea, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."~**

"Thanks again for that." Dorea rolled her eyes and Seamus flinched.

"I meant you needed your strength so you wouldn't get injured. It just came out wrong." he defended before anyone could throw anything at him. He glowered slightly as he saw how happy Dorea was in Bill Weasley's arms. _If only she could be that happy with him..._

Dean looked at his friend knowingly. He knew that Seamus had a crush on Dorea, but he was so secretive about it that almost no one else knew, though that might contribute with the fact that their dorm mates were completely clueless when it came to romantics.

**~"Thanks, Seamus," said Dorea, watching Seamus pile ketchup on her sausages.~**

"Ew." Ginny said, crinkling her nose. She never liked ketchup, it was such a disgusting food. American, if she was correct. She preferred mayonnaise on her fries over ketchup any day.

**~By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan~**

The boys that shared Dean's dorm chortled at the name. Only Dorea would come up with something like that, something funny yet not too creative at the same time. Only Dorea.

**~up in the top row. As a surprise for Dorea, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined.~**

Ron growled darkly at the mention of the rat, much to Percy's surprise. Ron had been so depressed when Scabbers went missing, what had changed?

"Ron, where did Scabbers go?" he asked. Ron's gaze darkened considerably as he glared at the empty table in front of him.

"You'll find that out in the last chapters of the third book." he growled, much to Percy's shock. What had Scabbers done to make Ron hate him so much? Dorea, on the other hand, glowered at the table.

"I should've let Sirius and Remus kill that rat in the Shack..." she grumbled, earning shocked looks from Bill and horrified looks from James and Lily. The only person they knew that Dorea would wish death upon, that could transform into a rat, was Peter. _Were Scabbers and Peter one and the same?_

**~It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours.~**

"Again, thank you so much, guys." Dorea smiled at the mentioned. They all grinned back.

"No promblem, Rea." they chorused, making Dorea groan. Was everyone going to start calling her that?

**~Meanwhile, in the locker room, Dorea and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).**

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.~**

Oliver cleared his throat.

"Okay, men." he said.

"And women." Angelina cut in. Everyone began to smile as they realized what the Quidditch Team was doing.

"And women." Oliver nodded. "This is it."

"The big one." Fred added.

"The one we've all been waiting for." George said.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart, we were on the team last year." Fred told everyone, who were beginning to chuckle.

"Shut up you two." Dorea snapped, sounding uncannily like Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years." At that, the Gryffindors cheered in agreement. "We're going to win. I know it." At that, Dorea and Oliver sent glares that just screamed 'Or else.'

"Right. It's time. Good luck all of you." Oliver finished amongst the chuckles. Arthur was chuckling heartily as he began to read.

**~"Okay, men," he said.**

**"And women." said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

**"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it." ~**

The chuckles began to grow louder.

**~"The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

**"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

**"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Dorea, "We were on the team last year."~**

Some people began to change colours in their attempts to keep their chuckles quiet.

**~"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it." He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

**"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."~**

One person started to laugh, causing the dam that held the laughter back to break. People were rolling around on the floor, pounding the tables, crying, changing colours, and saying that it was beginning to hurt, all from laughing at the antics of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Once things began to calm down Arthur continued reading, ignoring a silently howling Sirius siting next to him.

**~Dorea followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.~**

The cheers were all repeated as everyone got pumped for reading the upcoming Quidditch match.

**~Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

**"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said,~**

Someone 'hah'ed loudly while the rest of the Hall either snorted or shook their heads. A fair game, for Gryffindor vs. Slytherin? As if _that_ would ever happen. Maybe when Voldemort became a good man, but before that? Never.

**~once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Dorea thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.~**

Sirius snorted.

"Nah, just mountain fae." he said, making those who heard him laugh at the comment. Well, at least having someone well rehearsed in pureblood-family history had its uses.

**~Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. Her heart skipped. She felt much braver.~**

Dean took an extravagant bow to Dorea's nods of thanks.

"Glad to be of help."

**~"Mount your brooms, please."**

**Dorea clambered onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.**

**"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"~**

Arthur chuckled and held the book out to Lee Jordan, who grinned, ran up, grabbed the book, and sat next to Fred. He cleared his throat once and began to read in his commentator voice.

**~"_JORDAN_!"~**

Fred jumped a little as Lee shouted the line.

**~"Sorry, Professor."~**

Lee snickered. "Not." he added under his breath. James snorted at the idea of McGonagall getting on someone's case for saying something like that.

"_Please_, that's got nothing on Remus' commentating. I swear that half the student body learned curse words that they never thought existed before they attended the Quidditch Finals for our last year at Hogwarts." Lily chortled, grinning at the fond memories. The Twins and Lee began to look at Remus with new found respect as McGonagall huffed.

"That cursing was completely unnecessary." she grumbled, making Remus glare at little at the professor.

"James was nearly _killed_ by Parkinson, if it hadn't been for Sirius catching him he would've died!" he growled out, making Pansy Parkinson shift in her seat. Her uncle had told her about that, explaining where his scars had come from...

**~"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc - no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger~**

Those who understood how much that really hurt winced in sympathy. Dorea rubbed her elbow, remembering the break that a bludger had caused. She still needed to strangle Lockhart like she promised...

**~Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which~**

"It was George." Dorea and Fred said, making Lee nod.

"George Weasley, then." he stated, then continued reading.

**~- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"~**

Everyone single Gryffindor was cheering, Angelina doing a little victory dance to go with it. Once the excited ones quieted down a bit, Lee continued reading.

**~Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.**

**"Budge up there, move along."~**

People looked at Lee in confusion. Scene change, perhaps?

**~"Hagrid!"~**

Yep, scene change it was.

**~Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.**

**"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd.~**

"Could never be." Hagrid added, making everyone cheer in agreement. Being part of the cowd, cheering, gasping, booing, it was all part of the sport everyone loved called Quidditch.

**~No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

**"Nope," said Ron. "Dorea hasn't had much to do yet."**

**"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid,~**

"That's something on the ground, too." Dorea added, grinning mischievously at Hagrid, who chuckled in agreement. Neither noticed everyone nod in agreement with Dorea's statement.

**~raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Dorea.**

**Way up above them, Dorea was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of her and Wood's game plan.**

**"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."~**

Every Quidditch player nodded in approval, good strategy for a first game.

**~When Angelina had scored, Dorea had done a couple loop-de-loops to let off her feelings.**

**Now she was back to looking around for the Snitch. Once she caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches,~**

"I told you two to take them off! Now you see what it does? It distracts the Seeker from doing their job!" Olvier shouted, on the verge of ranting while the Twins apologized. Molly's eyes narrowed. She could never get her sons to react to her like that.

**~and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

**"All right there, Dorea?" he had time to yell, as he had beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.**

**"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"**

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.~**

Most of the Slytherins face-palmed at the mention of what their Seeker did. Idiot.

**~Dorea saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch - all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.~**

Oliver shook his head.

"Idiots, the lot of you." he grumbled, then remembered Dorea's bucking broomstick. Flint had managed to score three goals on him, but they hadn't counted, since Madam Hooch had called temporary time-out until the problems that Dorea was having with her broomsick were sorted out.

**~Dorea was faster than Higgs - he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead - she put on an extra spurt of speed - _WHAM_! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below - Marcus Flint had blocked Dorea on purpose, and Dorea's broom spun off course, Dorea holding on for dear life.~**

"CHEAT!" everyone Gryffindor shouted, Remus' eyes burning amber as he glared at the book.

**~"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.**

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

**"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.**

**"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"**

**"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.**

**"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Dorea outta the air."~**

"But the fouls make the game more fun and exciting!" the fans argued. The players groaned.

"And painful." they reminded, making several fans, including Ron, look a little sheepish while the rest waved them off. Injuries were a part of Quidditch.

**~"And they hurt." All the Quidditch players groaned.**

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.**

**"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -"~**

The Gryffindors cheered for Lee now.

**~"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.**

**"I mean, after that open and revolting foul "**

**"Jordan, I'm warning you-"~**

"But Minnie, he's only telling the truth!" James said, only to yel as he dodged a hex. McGonagall was breathing heavily, glaring at James.

"I told you to _STOP CALLING ME MINNIE_!"

**~"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure,~**

Everyone chuckled as Lee rolled his eyes at the statement. Lee had the right way of thinking when it came down to these things.

**~so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."**

**It was as Dorea dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past her head, that it happened.~**

Krum's eyes narrowed.

"That _vhat_ happened?" he asked.

**~Her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, she thought she was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with both her hands and knees. She'd never felt anything like that. It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck her off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off.~**

"No, zey do not." Gabrielle stated, sending Dorea a worried look. She had come to respect the older girl, especially after Dorea had patiently listened as she ranted on about Fleur last year.

**~Dorea tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts - she had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out - and then she realized that her broom was completely out of her control. She couldn't turn it. She couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated her.~**

Lily and James were both clinging to Dorea's arms tightly, and Bill hugged Dorea close to his chest, realizing now why she had tensed up at the mention of the title.

**~Lee was still commentating.~**

"How did you not _notice_ this?" Michaela asked, clinging to Charlie like her life depended on it. Lee shook his head.

"She was so high up, it was difficult to see her..." he muttered, returning to the book.

**~"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - Ah, no -"**

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Dorea's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying her slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.~**

Bill began to hyperventilate, clutching Dorea closer to his heart. No, no, she was safe, she didn't get injured... Did she? Did she get bucked off, only to be safed by a professor's quick thinking? Or did the jinx end fast enought that Dorea was able to regain control of her broomstick?

**~"Dunno what Dorea thinks she's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say she'd lost control of his broom but she can't have "~**

"SHE HAS!" Lily screamed at Hagrid, her face white with panic. Dorea paled as she realized what this meant. She'd be better off hiding when it came to her adventures at the end of each book...

**~Suddenly, people were pointing up at Dorea all over the stands.~**

"About time someone notices..." Dorea grumbled, rubbing Bill's arms comfortingly. He was nearly squeezing her to death, but it probably didn't mean anything... _It was probably because she was a little sister in his eyes..._

**~Her broom had started to roll over and over, with her only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Dorea's broom had given a wild jerk and Dorea swung off it. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.~**

Dorea winced in pain.

"I CAN'T FEEL MY ARMS OR BELOW MY STOMACH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" she screamed, making those clinging to her blink in surprise and loosen their grips. Dorea rubbed her arms as feeling began to return to them. Jeez, her parents had deathly strong grips...

**~Madam Hooch called a time out as they began to try and get Dorea to safety.~**

"Thank Merlin." James sighed, looking at the Flying Instructor. "Thank you so much for that."

**~"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked her?" Seamus whimpered, terrified at what was going on.**

**"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."~**

Everyone nodded, it took strong magic to bypass the protective enchantments on broomsticks.

**~At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Dorea, she started looking frantically at the crowd.**

**"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.**

**"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape - look."**

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Dorea and was muttering nonstop under his breath.~**

"But that could also be a counter-curse." Moody growled, looking at Hermione. She huffed.

"We hadn't gotten to counter-curses yet, and they were in an entirely different book than the one we were covering!" she defended. Her eyes then widened in horror. "They weren't in the book Quirrell assigned us..." she whispered, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. _Had that been on purpose, to make things easier for Quirrell if Dorea had interfered?_ Moody seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione, though his was wondering if Quirrell had only done that on purpose to achieve his goals, not that he knew what they were yet.

**~"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," said Hermione.**

**"Jinxing the broom? What should we do?"**

**"Leave it to me."**

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Dorea.**

**Her broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for her to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Dorea safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near her, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her, obviously hoping to catch her if he fell.~**

"Thanks, Gred, Forge." Dorea smiled. The two grinned back at her.

"As if we'd let our baby sister get hurt like that." they said, turning Dorea's smile into a sad one. _They never realized just how much they had hurt her, did they...?_

**~Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.~**

"I thought this was during a time-out?" James growled, glaring at the Slytherins. Daphne's eyes narrowed.

"It was, and they didn't count." she growled back, defending her House. Sure, they had a ton of bad eggs, but not all of them were like that.

**~"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front.~**

Dorea and Hermione shared shocked looks - if Hermione hadn't come from that side, if she hadn't made that one blunder, it was very likely that Dorea would be dead. Which truly meant that Dorea's luck came in handy when it was with near-death experiences.

**~Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.~**

Snape glared at Hermione, and was about to start screaming at her when Sirius cast a Silencing Charm at the Potions Master.

"You need to remember, Snivellus, that she was doing this to save her friend's life." he spat, looking at Lee to make him continue reading.

**~It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row - Snape would never know what had happened.~**

"Until now." Hermione groaned, hiding her face in her hands. She was just glad that Snape couldn't give her detentions for what she did.

**~It was enough. Up in the air, Dorea was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.**

**"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.~**

"Thanks for caring, Nev." she said. Neville smiled.

"Hey, you're my sister from another mister!" he grinned, Dorea chuckling at him. Yeah, they were practically siblings. God-siblings, actually.

**~Dorea was speeding towards the ground when the crowd saw her pull up, standing on her broom. Suddenly, she flipped off it, clasping her hand to her mouth as though she was about to be sick - she hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into her hand.~**

Jaws dropped as everyone looked at Dorea.

"No vay." Krum gasped in shock. _No way, no way, no way..._

**~"I've got the Snitch!" she shouted, waving it above her head, and the game ended in complete confusion.~**

"You're bloody right it did! First you're nearly thrown off, then you pull off your signature dive, and then you catch the Snitch in your mouth? It's no wonder that Ollie Pop nearly had a heart attack!" Fred shouted at Dorea, who blushed and muttered an apology. Fred stopped glaring at Dorea when he saw Bill's murderous gaze, it was really terrifying.

**~"She didn't catch it, she nearly _swallowed_ it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Dorea hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Dorea heard none of this, though. She was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.~**

"So that's where you were." the team nodded, understanding why Dorea hadn't been at the party they had held now.

**~"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Dorea decided on the truth.~**

"See? When it comes to important things _I tell the truth_." Dorea said, glaring at Fudge and Umbridge. Those who didn't believe Dorea before gulped as they looked at each other. Was she telling the truth, was Voldemort _really_ back?

**~"I found out something about him," she told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."~**

"When in doubt, be blunt." Alicia chuckled, smiling at Dorea. Her mind was still on how Dorea nrealy died, how Hermione Granger saved Dorea's life... And so soon into the beginning of first year as well...

**~Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

**"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.~**

People stared at Hagrid.

"Fluffy?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"Fluffy." the half-giant confirmed. Michaela looked confused.

"Why _Fluffy_?" she asked. "I would've named him Faramund, it's German for journey protection." the Trio nodded at the name, it most certainly represented what Fluffy was assigned to do. Hagrid blushed.

"When he was a pup he as a fluffy little critter." Hagrid muttered, Michaela nodding in acknowledgement.

"Makes sense." she said, turning back to Lee. Charlie shook his head and hugged Michaela tightly, much to Mrs. Weasley's annoyance. Why was Charlie apparently attracted to a girl like that? She eyed Michaela's attire of a black leather mini skirt, a red corest, and a black leather jacket, complete with black leather boots and red fishnet tights. She just wasn't the proper lady that Charlie deserved...

**~"_Fluffy_?" the three of them asked in shock.~**

"Glad we aren't the only ones now..." Ron muttered looking around at all the faces that were preesnt in the hell.

**~"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"~**

"Hagrid." Dumbledore and the Flamels groaned.

**~"Yes?" said Dorea eagerly.**

**"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."~**

"That's not gonna stop them." Ginny said, eying the Trio mockingly.

**~"But Snape's trying to _steal_ it."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."~**

"But it was a Hogwarts teacher that was after what Fluffy was guarding." Dorea corrected, much to Hagrid's shame. He really shouldn't trust someone just because they're a teacher, look at what good it did Dorea...

**~"So why did he just try and kill Dorea?" cried Hermione.**

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.~**

"I still don't like him." Hermione huffed, crossing her arms, Georg chuckled and hugged Hermione.

"None of us do, Mia." he said. Hermione sent him an amused look.

"Mia?" she questioned. George suddenly looked flustered.

"I-I thought that it suited you. If you don't mind, that is." he muttered, refusing to meet Hermione's eyes. The brunette smiled at him.

"I don't mind it, it's just different from what I'm used to." she replied, smiling up at George. His ears burned bright red and he looked away from Hermione, refusing to meet her eyes. Dorea looked at George curiously - that's what Bill did most of the time that the two of them hearly got close, but she still didn't understand why.

**~"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"~**

"Again, counter-curses and jinxes weren't in the book assigned to us! I didn't learn until later that it was the same for the counters as well!" she explained, a pink blush on her face.

**~"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Dorea's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"~**

The Professors groaned as Sirius looked like he had a revelation.

"So _that's_ why the Flamels are here!" he said, making Nicholas and Perenelle nod.

"Yes, we're here because of Dorea's actions in her first year." Perenelle said, while Dorea looked confused.

"Wait, aren't you two supposed to be -?" she asked, Nicholas smiling and chuckling.

"The one that was destroyed was the only one that worked for anyone and everyone, we each have one that only works for ourselves." he explained, making Dorea, Hermione, and Ron all gain looks of understanding.

"_Oooooh_." they all chorused, everyone else completely confused. Le shook his head and decided to continue reading, knowing that they wouldn't understand until the end of the book, if they were lucky.

**~"Aha!" said Dorea, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.~**

"I was." Hagrid said, still mentally berating himself for that slip of his tongue. Lee closed the book and looked around.

"That's the end of the chapter." he said, as food appeared on the tables. Dorea groaned as Bill and Lily prepared a plate for her, she was still completely full from breakfast and the toast that she was forced to eat. "Who wants to read next?"

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 8,705**

**This chapter is _really_ short, but then again, the actual chapter that JKR wrote was short as well... So, we finally know why the Flamels are still alive, why Hermione didn't know about counter-curses or jinxes being the same as curses and jinxes in the sense of eye-contact being necessary, and the introduction of the Dorea Dive. I love that scene in the movie, it was so amazing, I just had to include it here.**

**Review Count: 225**

**5 below what I hoped for, but that's not too bad.**

**Review Goal: 250**

**REVIEW PLEASE! REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
**

**SO REVIEW PLEASE!**


	14. Book 1: Chapter 12

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**  
**MistBlade8: I didn't even intend to write that pun... Oh well, guess my mind works in ways that I don't even realize sometimes! ^^**

**bloomnskyrules: Gabrielle ranted about Fleur to Dorea because Fleur is, in my eyes, an arrogant and self-adsorbed witch that can't seem to see beyond the mirror. Yeah, she'll finally realize that she has to let her children live their own lives when Charlie and Michaela get together. And up until Michaela and Charlie get married in the books(instead of Bill and Fleur), Molly will constantly be on about Michaela. Ginny and Molly won't like Michaela, but Dorea won't take them insulting one of the only people who was there for her when she was a child. Yes, she was talking about when they only called her "the seeker" when she lost the points, because they never realized exactly how much it affected her opinion of everything, including her own self-worth. George and Hermione might get together before Dorea and Bill do, but I'm not sure about that yet...**

**griffindork93: Exactly what I'm thinking also the cold water would make it harder for the champions to swim, since their muscles would be locking up due to the cold, making it harder for them to swim as well. Yeah, I chose 666 on purpose. I was waiting to see who would get the joke. It was originally gonna be 555, but I saw that and changed it to 666. And no, Snape doesn't care about Bill or Dorea, he just noticed that Bill was growling at him and how he was holding Dorea close to him. Yes, the Weasleys jumped, but only because it's so strange to hear Arthur shout. They did hear his row with Percy, and it's gonna have terrified them. Seamus does have a crush on her, I'm making it so he had a crush on her since her first year, what with him winking at her in Potions and all. I like Oliver's speech because it shows his dedication to Quidditch. Of course they can quote it, he probably says it before every single game! The twins would just remember what they said to Dorea for the first time she heard the speech. A Mountain Fae is similar to a troll is appearances and speech, but is pretty much a fae, or faerie, that lives on the mountains. No, there is not a blood feud between the Parkinsons and the Potters simply because Remus attacked Pansy's uncle afterwords, just to cheer James and Sirius up. That's why Uncle Parkinson has scars. I wish I could have said more as well, but I really couldn't think of much to write for a rant. And of course he can get the twins to apologize fast, he's probably threatened them with laps and drills so many times that they expect them to be assigned if they don't get serious right away. Dorea, Arthur, Bill, and Oliver are the only ones that can get the Twins to apologize right away. IF you're wondering why Bill, he has their respect and can curse them with spells they didn't even know existed. Gabby's rant is my gift to you! :D Yeah, you're probably right about that. Especially when we get to the Chamber, Dorea's gonna flip out over how protective everyone is, especially Bill. She likes the moments when they aren't attempting to squeeze her to death, but anyone would get pissed if their parents were trying to kill their arms. I said that because I don't think it's reasonable that Hermione would know about the curses but not the counter-curses being the same. I think she tells Harry off in the sixth book for talking back to Snape because he got detention and lost them House Points, and we all know how much Hermione loves House Points. *rolls eyes* The Stone that the Flamels had Dumbledore protect was the first Stone they ever made, they hadn't found a way to specify it to work for one or two people yet, so it would work for anyone, they just kept it hidden to ensure that it wouldn't get discovered by anyone that wanted it for their own greed.**

**~O~O~O~**

**Oh, and before I forget : HAPPY BIRTHDAY oioighthompson!**

**~O~O~O~**

Dorea glared at the plate of food in front of her, just like she had done yesterday. She was full, she knew that if she ate something she was going to be sick, but that didn't stop Bill and her parents from pestering her to eat.

"Bambi, you need to eat something." James muttered, eyeing his daughter worriedly. She slowly shook her head, making all three adults exchange glances.

"I'm still full from breakfast." she muttered, shocking those that heard. Her breakfast had been relatively small in their opinions, much smaller than yesterday's had been, but it had filled her up? Was that the reason that she hadn't wanted to eat lunch yesterday, either? Or afternoon tea? Or supper? Bill moved the plate back and bit and hugged Dorea tightly.

"When you feel up to it, eat, alright?" he asked, causing Dorea to look up at him in shock. He was actually giving her an option as to when she could eat it? He wasn't going o feed her like he had done yesterday and this morning? She looked back at the plate. She could make the food on it last a week at the Dursleys, maybe a week and a half if she rationed properly She shook her head and glared at the book in front of Arthur. Stupid thing's fault, it was because of that book that she was being forced to eat more than she wanted to, that she was forced to sit here and listen to everyone talking about her life, that she was forced to tell Bill about her home life. She had already vowed that she would only tell Bill, no one else. And she wouldn't even tell Bill about everything that happened to her.

Finally, after everyone else had eaten, Professor Babbling cleared her throat.

"I'll read." she offered. Lee levitated the book over to her, where she opened it to the enxt chapter.

**~CHAPTER TWELVE - THE MIRROR OF ERISED~** she read. Dorea groaned and looked at Madam Bones.

"Family Heirlooms can't be confiscated by the Ministry, can they?" she asked, to which Madam Bones shook her head.

"The Ministry has almost no say in what happens in a family, they can only claim family Vaults if the last proven member of that family has passed away, which only happens when the Family Account shuts down in Gringotts. Until then, we at the Ministry cannot claim anything that belongs to a family unless it is illegal to possess such an item." she explained, making Dorea sigh in relief. Umbridge scowled. _What did that Potter bratlette have that she was worried would be taken away?_ Suddenly Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"Also, do we really have to read this chapter? It's extremely personal..." she said, wincing at the nasty look on Umbridge's face.

"No! We must read _all_ of the books!" she sneered, overjoyed that this may lead to some dirt on the Potter bratlette. Would they finally get to something that would show that Dorea Potter wasn't all she claimed to be? Madam Bones sighed as Dorea looked at her hopefully.

"I am afraid that since Ms. Umbridge," some people, namely the misfits, snickered at the fact that Umbridge was 40-something and not married. "Was the one to receive the books, she is the one who decides what is read, and since she has declared that everything should be read, everything shall be read." Dorea glared at her legs. _Stupid Umbitch, stupid books..._ Professor Babbling started reading the chapter.

**~Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.~**

Dorea, Ron, and Hermione shared horrified and amused looks. Wait until the Twins find out what was under that part of Quirrell's turban.

**~The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.~**

Hedwig hooted indignantly at the idea of being one of those weak owls that couldn't handle the cold. Dorea snorted.

"Hedwig, you're a _snowy_ owl. Your breed naturally lives in the Arctic tundra. It's the heat that bothers you more than the cold ever will." she said, causing Hedwig to look a little bashful. Hermione couldn't help but shake her head, only Dorea would have an owl that has an attitude. Something like that could only happen to Dorea. Though that might be because she treats Hedwig more humanly than other witches and wizards treat their pets, just look at how Ron treats Pig.

**~No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.~**

"Warming charms on the classroom would make the potions more volatile, though drinking a warming potion or placing warming charms on your clothing would negate the effects of the cold dungeons." Lily stated, all the students that hadn't known that taking notes down to remember to do that during the winter.

**~"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."~**

Dorea snorted.

"Hogwarts _is_ my home." she said, making everyone look at her with sad eyes. To have a school as your home, it was a sad thought indeed. "My friends are my family, too." she added in as an afterthought. Lily looked down at her lap, about to cry. Dorea never had a real family, the idea... It hurt so much... The misfit gang all nodded.

"We can understand what you're saying, Dorea." Michaela whispered, leaning her head on Charlie's shoulder. "We can understand far too well." Charlie wrapped his arms around Michaela and was trying not to cry at the fact that so many children in this circle had been abused by family members to the point where they felt safer at school than they did at home. No one should feel that way, _ever_.

**~He was looking over at Dorea as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Dorea, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Dorea as Seeker next.~**

"Please, the fact that she caught the Snitch in her mouth is _far_ more outstanding than the idea of her being the youngest seeker in a century by far." Ivanova said, glaring at Malfoy. The blond boy, who had returned to the Hall during lunch with the other seventh years(somehow completely unharmed, thought clearly shaken up), flinched under the powerful gaze of the Bulgarian woman and kept his head down. Hopefully this chapter wouldn't put him in too bad a light, he was already in enough trouble as it was with the other Slytherins...

**~Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Dorea had managed to stay on her bucking broomstick.~**

"Even the Slytherins?" Dorea asked Blaise, who nodded.

"Especially us, we know how powerful a jinx or curse must be to get past the enchantments on a broom." he stated, making Dorea nod in understanding. That made sense, now that she thought about it.

**~So Malfoy, jealous and angry,~**

"Of course he was jealous, he isn't nearly as good as you are!" Oliver said, glaring at the Slytherin Seeker.

**~had gone back to taunting Dorea about having no proper family.**

**It was true that Dorea wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Dorea had signed up at once.~**

McGonagall winced under the many suspicious glares she was receiving.

"I thought she was just excited to see Hogwarts during Christmas time, many first years stay at Hogwarts for their first year just to see the castle during the holidays." she stated, feeling horrible. _She had been teaching for how many years now, and she couldn't spot an abused child when the evidence was waving itself under her nose?_

**~She didn't feel sorry for herself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas she'd ever had.~**

Everyone looked at Dorea pitifully, which just pissed the girl off.

"Listen, it's in the past, I don't need your bloody pity! So leave me alone about it!" she shouted, glaring at everyone that was staring at her. For the misfits, their gazes were different, they were staring at her with sad understanding.

**~Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.~**

"Really, you live in Romania?" Michaela asked happily. Charlie grinned.

"I work with dragons there, the reserve I work at has the rarest dragon breeds in the world." he said proudly. Michaela started pelting him with questions on how the dragons were cared for, and added in some advice that she had picked up from her Elven Clan. Charlie began to write the advice down, getting tips from a Tamer Clan was worth its weight in gold. Molly's eyes narrowed some more as she watched her second oldest son associate himself with someone several years his younger, and a half-Elf, no less. She had nothing against those that had creature blood running through their veins, but Elves like Michaela were temperamental things that didn't fully understand human society because of their seclusion from humanity.

She seemed to have forgotten that Michaela grew up in the house next to Dorea's.

**~When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.**

**"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.~**

Molly's expression changed from disapproving to prideful. So she had taught Ron some manners, after all.

**~"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."**

**"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them.~**

Molly's eyes narrowed on Malfoy this time. That boy didn't have any manners at all.

**~"Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."~**

Everyone who liked the Weasleys growled fiercely, glaring icily at Malfoy. He winced and attempted to hide under the Slytherin table. Having nearly the entire Hall glaring at you as if they were contemplating murder didn't feel very good.

**~Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.~**

For once, Daphne looked impressed.

"I'll say it once, and only once. That was actually a Slytherin move." she complimented, then looked at Madam Delacour. "Mind conjuring up some soap so I can scrub my mouth out now? I just complimented a _Malfoy_." she said, her face contorted like she had just eaten something rotten. Madam Delacour could only laugh at the girl's antics.

**~"WEASLEY!"**

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.**

**"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."~**

"Which, according to school rules, means that Malfoy started the fight, hence Mister Malfoy should have the points removed." Dumbledore said, eyeing Snape. If he did what he thought he did...

**~"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."~**

"Severus, I am severely disappointed in you." Dumbledore said, shaking his head. He never thought that Snape would hold such a powerful grudge against the House that contained his childhood tormentors, he never thought that Snape would treat his students so unjustly. That was why he had hired Snape after Slughorn retired, because he thought that Snape would mature and move past his grudge. How wrong he had been.

**~Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.~**

"How charming." Lily snarled, glaring at the three in question. Crabbe and Goyle looked confused, their fathers had told them that Malfoys were always right, so they followed Malfoy. Had their fathers lied to them, or was Draco just a bad example of a Malfoy?

**~"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -"**

**"I hate them both," said Dorea, "Malfoy and Snape."~**

"And I still hate them both." she ground out, glaring at the man who had withheld her Family Grimoire just because of who she was. of who her father was. Snape blinked in surprise, he wasn't aware that Dumbledore's precious Golden Girl could actually feel hatred. "They're at the top of my Hate List, just underneath Voldemort." she added, causing most of the Hall to flinch at the name. Dumbledore was pleased to see that most of the members of the Circle hadn't flinched in the slightest, the only ones flinching being the ignorant ones or the ones too tied into traditions to care about how the world had changed.

**~"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

**So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.**

**"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"**

**The hall looked spectacular.**

**Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.~**

Those who hadn't celebrated a Hogwarts Christmas yet looked around the Hall in awe, imagining it looking like what Dorea described. Those who had celebrated a Hogwarts Christmas, however, looked around with dreamy expressions, remembering the good memories that came with those trees, that holly and mistletoe, the icicles that hung from the tips of the tree branches, and all the decorations and food that had been served. The Gryffindors in the fifth year and up, however, looked pleasantly dreamy as they also remembered the Yule Party that they held the yera before. Good times, good times...

Professor Babbling shook herself out of her dreamy state and continued reading.

**~"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.**

**"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me - Dorea, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."~**

"_Traitors_." both the Weasley Twins and the Prewett Twins hissed, while Sirius and James looked thoughtful. It depended on why they were in the library, really.

**~"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.**

**"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"**

**"Oh, we're not working," Dorea told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."~**

"Of _course_ you're trying to find out who I am." Nicholas sighed, hoping that Dorea didn't get too injured at the end of the year. Dumbledore had been purposely vague on how injured Dorea had been when he asked, saying that Dorea would get better soon. The sets of Twins, however, nodded in approval.

"Since it's a,-" Gideon started.

"-And we quote, _'saving the world'_ thing-" Gred continued.

"-We allow you three-" Fabian said.

"-Passage into the library-" Fred stated.

"-Just this once." they finished, chorusing.

**~"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."**

**"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.~**

"Because knowing who Nicholas Flamel is was one step closer to knowing what was in danger of being stolen." Dorea said, Perenelle shaking her head.

"Three first years managed to uncover secrets that not even all the professors knew. Three first years." she said. Flitwick snorted and looked at the Trio.

"Those three know things about this school that Dumbledore doesn't even know." he squeaked, making Umbridge grin. _So she would find out more about this school then, huh?_

**~"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Dorea added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I _know_ I've read his name somewhere."~**

"I still can't believe it was there that entire time." Dorea shook her head, Ron and Hermione joining her.

"I can't believe I had the book that held the information about him the entire time." Hermione muttered, making George look at her oddly.

"All those hours wasted-" Ron grumbled.

"-All for nought." Dorea finished mournfully.

**~"I'm sayin' nothin', said Hagrid flatly.~**

"And he didn't." the Trio chorused sadly, looking at the ground. It had been so simple, on the back of a bloody _Chocolate Frog Card_.

**~"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.**

**They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century_, or _Notable Magical Names of Our Time_; he was missing, too, from _Important Modern Magical Discoveries_, and _A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry_.~**

"I'm not in any of those books, though you might want to check _Greatest Magical Discoveries in History_, or _Alchemy Uncovered_." Nicholas suggested. The Trio nodded solemnly.

"It was the first one." they said together, still mournful over the time wasted looking up information that had been completely useless.

**~And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.~**

Those who swore that they would never step foot in the library swooned and pretended to faint at the size of the library, Sirius actually passing out.

**~Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Dorea wandered over to the Restricted Section. She had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and she knew she'd never get one.~**

The Trio snorted as Perenelle looked amused.

"He probably is in there, but it's simply safer to read the books that aren't there." she said, once again making the Trio snort, much to everyone's confusion. Why were they snorting?

**~These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts.**

**"What are you looking for, girl?"~**

"Don't call her girl." Bill growled at Madam Pince.

**~"Nothing," said Dorea automatically.~**

The librarian looked a little affronted.

"If you had told me you were looking for information on Nicholas Flamel I would have lead you straight to the right books." she said, making Dorea blush.

"It was an automatic response the librarian at my primary school would kick me out if he ever noticed me in there." she muttered, looking down. Bill nuzzled his head against Dorea's, not understanding why his heart was pounding so heavily._ What was going on with him?_

**~Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at her.~**

"NOT THE FEATHER DUSTER!" Sirius and James shouted, Lily and Remus laughing.

"You two are still scared of that thing?" Remus chortled, grinning wolfishly at his friends. Sirius huffed and crossed his arms.

"She nrealy shoved it up our arses("LANGUAGE!" Molly shrieked.), of coure we're scared of it!" he grumbled, making Dorea and Bill laugh hysterically at the idea of James and Sirius with feather dusters sticking out their rears.

**~"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!"**

**Wishing she'd been able to have come up with a story before the response came, Dorea left the library. She, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.~**

Moody nodded approvingly, eying Snape. The Potions Master wouldn't still be here if he had been after the Stone, so that meant that he wasn't helping Quirrell at the moment. Perhaps he had helped in secret?

**~Dorea waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but she wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for a fortnight, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.~**

Several Ravenclaws snorted, she only stopped breathing down your neck once you reached your OWLs and had been studying in the library for all the years prior.

**~Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined her, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.**

**"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."**

**"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."**

**"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione sarcastically.~**

"He is known in the muggle world, though it's more mythological and the idea of alchemists being early scientists." Dan provided, making Hermione blush. She hadn't thought of that...

**~Once the holidays had started, Ron and Dorea were having too good a time to think much about Flamel.~**

"Of course we were, it was the first Christmas hols that I actually enjoyed myself!" Dorea said indignantly, glaring at the people who snickered. She hadn't had any chores, she hadn't been forced into her cupboard on Christmas - life had been good, up until the danger factors started kicking in.

**~They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - bread, English muffins, marshmallows -~**

Muggle born and raised moaned at the thought of roasted marshmallows, they were _so _tasty...

**~and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.~**

Malfoy snorted. He had spent his holidays planning how to get Weasley expelled and how to make Dorea his betrothed. She was attractive, magically powerful, smart, and her family had power that would only add to the Malfoy name. And while she may be a half-blood, it was acceptable for purebloods to marry half-bloods, as they usually had some pureblood family members.

**~Ron also started teaching Dorea wizard's chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family - in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.~**

McGonagall eyed Ron. Maybe she could challenge him to a game of chess, if he could play it so well...

**~Dorea played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent her, and they didn't trust her at all.~**

Everyone who played wizard's chess winced, they knew exactly what Dorea was talking about.

**~She wasn't a very good player yet, and they kept shouting different bits of advice at her, which was very confusing. "Hey pretty missy, don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose _him_."~**

"Those sets only think for themselves." Dorea said, shaking her head. Ron chuckled - she still hadn't noticed that the chess piece had called her pretty.

**~On Christmas Eve, Dorea went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.~**

Bill looked teary eyed, while Dorea swivelled around and hugged him.

"Thank you for all the gifts you sent me over the years, Bill." she whispred, squeezing him tightly and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. Bill smiled brightly and returned the hug, glad that Dorea liked the gifts. Once Dorea noticed Remus eyeing her, she grinned at her 'uncle'. "Tank you, Uncie Moo'y." she said in a baby voice, making Remus let out a manly-squeal(which James and Sirius swore they would tease him _mercilessly_ for) and hugged Dorea tightly, glad that she had gotten the letters and gifts from him as well.

**~When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of her bed. She scrambled out of bed, grabbed the gifts she had received, and went straight to Ron's dorm to open them with him. Her first Christmas gifts she could ever remember receiving!~**

Suddenly Bill and Remus both looked saddened at the idea. Dorea should have had a happy childhood, one where she was loved and received gifts from those who cared about her.

**~"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily when Dorea woke up him.**

**"You, too," said Dorea. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

**"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Dorea's.~**

Ron winced at the mention.

"I thought you had only brought what you could carry, I didn't know you had brought every gift you had gotten." he muttered, looking at his lap in shame. Dora's arms were so small, he didn't think she could carry too much. He had thought she had opened the rest of her gifts in her own dorm.

**~Dorea picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was _To Dorea, from Hagrid_. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Dorea blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl.~**

"Thanks for that, Hedwig loves it when I play it for her." Dorea smiled up at Hagrid.

**~A second, very small parcel contained a note.**

**_We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia._ Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.~**

"Th-That's it?" Hermione spluttered, glaring at the Dursleys. Dorea shrugged.

"That's friendly from them." she said, not really caring.

**~"That's friendly," said Dorea.~**

"See?"

**~Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

**"Weird!" he said, 'What a shape! This is money?"**

**"You can keep it," said Dorea, laughing at how pleased Ron was.~**

Arthur beamed at Ron with pride, making Ron flush under both the pride and his mother's exasperated sigh. Just what he always wanted - approval from once parent, disappointment from the other.

**~"Hagrid and my aunt and uncle so who sent these?"**

**"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mum. I told her you didn't expect any presents and - oh, no," he groaned, "She's made you a Weasley sweater."~**

"What's wrong with them" Molly asked, a little offended. Ron held his hands up in his defence.

"Nothing, I thought that she had always received more expensive clothing, is all."

**~Dorea had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.~**

"The sweater fit perfectly and the fudge was delicious, Mrs. Weasley." Dorea smiled at the woman. Molly beamed back, making Ron wallow in disappointment. _His mother never looked at him like that, only the girls, Bill, and Charlie..._

"Thank you, dear, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy all told me you a bit tiny for your age, I wasn't sure if it would fit or not." she said, forgetting for a moment that Percy had been under the effects of an Imperius Potion, forgetting that her third oldest son hadn't talked to her once since they discovered the potion.

**~"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."~**

"He likes a darker colour, mum. That's Aunt Muriel likes maroon." Ginny said, making Molly blink in surprise.

"Oh." she said, not noticing Ron's dark look.

"I've only told her my _entire_ _childhood_." he grumbled to Susan, who looked at him a little pitifully. He was clearly the most ignored child of the Weasleys, since he was the youngest son that wasn't a rule breaker or as academic as his other siblings had been, and the only child younger than him was the only girl in the family. It must hurt to always be the one to get the things that are someone else's favourite colours.

**~"That's really nice of her," said Dorea, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.**

**Her next present also contained candy - a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. The next package was from someone who signed the letter as B, a charm bracelet with a single charm dangling from it, a lily. The person promised to send another charm every holiday. Dorea put the bracelet on right away, admiring the craftsmanship. She had never seen _anything_ this well made before.~**

Bill smiled and hugged Dorea tightly, glad that she had liked his gift to her. He had made each charm by hand, casting simply protection spells on them that would prevent rusting, damaging, and keep them clean no matter what was spilled on them. Hermione, however, looked at Dorea in shock.

"That's the bracelet that you never let anyone else wear, right? The one you wear almost constantly?" she asked. Dorea blushed as she nodded, feeling Bill puff out his chest in pride and joy.

**~This only left one parcel. Dorea picked it up and felt it. It was very light. She unwrapped it.**

**Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped.~**

As did many in the room, while Umbridge gained a nasty glint in her eyes.

**~"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavour Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable."**

**"What is it?"**

**Dorea picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.**

**"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is - try it on."**

**Dorea threw the cloak around her shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

**"It is! Look down!"**

**Dorea looked down at her feet, but they were gone. She dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, her reflection looked back at her, just her head suspended in midair, her body completely invisible. She pulled the cloak over her head and her reflection vanished completely.~**

Umbridge stood.

"Lady Potter, give me the cloak now." she said, Nicholas snorted and glared at the toad.

"Sorry, but that's a family heirloom. It works off ambient magic in the air, preventing it from becoming visible, and it can't be summoned by anyone outside of the Potter family." he explained. He then noticed the curious looks that James was sending him. "When I first made my first Stone, the one that's been destroyed, the Lord Potter of that time wanted to know how the Cloak worked, and asked me to help him look at it. Impressive magic, it is, woven with the hair of Demiguises and Thestrals while dipped in Phoenix and Basilisk blood. Powerful enchantments just from those items on their own." he explained, making everyone nod in understanding. James and Dorea shared looks - that would be why it lasted so long, the Phoenix blood would keep recharging any enchantments on the robe using the very magic surrounding it. The basilisk blood would prevent it from tearing. Incredible, so that's why it has lasted so long.

Umbridge, however, sat back in her chair in a huff. Potter didn't deserve such a thing. She never did.

**~"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

**Dorea pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:**

**Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you.**

**Use it well.**

**A Very Merry Christmas to you.~**

"You see, Remus, I had every intention of returning it to Dorea, I just didn't want to risk her relatives finding it and disliking it, possibly even burning it." Dumbledore explained, causing everyone to pale. It was a good thing that Dumbledore didn't give it to Dorea when she was at the Dursleys, they would have destroyed it off the bat.

**~There was no signature.**

**Dorea stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.**

**"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"**

**"Nothing," said Dorea. She felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to her father?~**

"Dumbledore sent it, and yes, it belonged to me, and my father, and his father, and his father, and his father, and his father, and all the way up the family tree since the Potters were a poor family." James explained, awing everyone. Dumbledore nodded. It was that knowledge that led him to believe that the Potter's Invisibility Cloak had the The Invisiblity Cloak, the Deathly Hallow. And he had been right, it was the Deathly Hallow, but not that anyone would know about it. Dumbledore then eyed the final book. Dorea Potter and the Deathly Hallows... Well, at least no one would know about it for some time now.

**~Before she could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Dorea stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. She didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.~**

"We totally understand, Dorea." Fred said. George smiled at her.

"If we were in the same position we would've reacted the same way." George finished. Dorea smiled at the Twins, they really meant well.

"Thanks, guys." she said, only for the Twins to gain the most devilish grins.

"Though we will require that as a tool for out late-night pranks and wanderings." they chorused, making Dorea laugh.

"I already use it for that, so feel free to join the club!" she grinned. "Just remember, if we need to use it to save the world, hands off."

The adults all exchanged glances, worried and scared. Scared because the only daughter of a mastermind prankster was joining forces with two other mastermind pranksters, worried because Dorea could talk about saving the world so - so - so _casually_.

**~"Merry Christmas!"**

**"Hey, look - Dorea's got a Weasley sweater, too!"**

**Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.**

**"Dorea's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Dorea's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."~**

"I was just joking." Fred smiled at his mother. When she turned away he glowered.

"She makes more of an effort if you're a girl." George finished, muttering under his breath so his mother wouldn't hear. Hermione squeezed his arm gently, consoling him. Everyone knew that Mrs. Weasley treated those she saw as daughters better than her sons, it was just that Molly wouldn't listen if someone told her straight out how she was treating them. She subconsciously spoiled the girls, not knowing how badly it affected those closest to her.

**~"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."**

**"I hate maroon," Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head.**

**"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."~**

Molly rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Would you two please stop wearing them the opposite way that I send them to you?" she asks, the twins looking a little annoyed.

"Mum, either the owls get the gifts confused of you get us mixed up too often, because we wear the sweater that fits us best." Fred deadpanned, making Molly's eyes widen. She wasn't so bad a mother that she even got their gifts addressed incorrectly... _Was she? Did she get them addressed wrongly? Was she really **that **bad of a mother?_

**~"What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.**

**"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Dorea got one."**

**"I - don't - want -" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.~**

Everyone in the Hall chuckled at the Twins, even Percy joined in. He never understood why he saw his younger brothers as a bother, they were very entertaining once you paid attention to them. Even he was beginning to tell the Twins apart now.

**~"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."**

**They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.~**

Everyone began laughing at the Twins, Dorea and Ron's laughter being to loudest. Bill chuckled and hugged Dorea close, still in a daze that Dorea never let anyone else wear the bracelet he made her, that she wore it almost all the time. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but that might be the butterbeer that he had been drinking.

**~Dorea had never in all her life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce -~**

People began to drool at the descriptions Everyone cheered a little as some small portions of the Christmas dinner appeared, small enough that no one would feel full, but large enough to satiate those with humongous appetites.

**~and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favours were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Dorea pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice.~**

Those who had never seen one of the party favours looked at the book in awe, Dudley's the strongest. That was _incredible_.

**~Dorea immediately forced the hat on Fred's head, making the redhead grin and ruffle her already messy bed head.**

**Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.~**

People either chuckled at Dumbledore's eccentricities or shook their head in shame that their Headmaster would actually wear a flower bonnet.

**~Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice.~**

"That's not a muggle tradition anymore, professor." Hermione said through a caramel pudding. Dumbledore blinked in surprise, as did many of the professors. They weren't aware that putting pieces of silver in pudding had stopped.

**~Dorea watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.~**

Sirius and Remus were howling in laughter at the sheepish look on James' face and the angry look on Lily's.

"In our seventh year, Dumbledore and Minnie," here Sirius dodged a hex from said professor. "Were caught under a mistletoe, so James stole it, kissed Minnie's cheek," Sirius dodged a curse this time. "Then brought it over to Lily, used it on her, and transformed it into a dozen long stemmed red roses for her." he explained, a cheeky grin on his cheek. Lily huffed.

"He didn't have to kiss Minnie." she said, blocking the jinx that McGonagall sent at her this time. James shrugged.

"It's tradition to kiss someone when they're under a mistleto-" he looked up and burst out pointing and laughing. Everyone else looked confused and followed where James' finger was pointing to, only for everyone else to burst out laughing as Dorea and Bill's jaws dropped.

On a platform 3 feet above Bill's head, was Dobby, dangling a mistletoe above Dorea and Bill.

Dorea felt her eye twitch as she glared at Dobby. The House Elf had a cheeky grin on his face as he looked down upon everyone.

"I still haven't paid you back for second year, Dobby." she growled, making the House Elf eep and hide behind Michaela's grandparents, having spotted the High Elves moments before he hung the mistletoe. Lily grinned at the pair's bright red faces before making a kissy face.

"It's tradition, so pucker up you two!" she teased, giggling all the while. Dorea huffed and looked away, Bill mimicing her actions. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Just kiss each other on the cheek already!" he shouted, glaring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure if Dorea and Bill liked each other yet, but the way they were acting around each other was starting to bother him. Dorea's face burned bright red, only to turn even brighter as she felt Bill's lips press against her cheek. She turned, only to notice that Bill refused to look Dorea in the eye, and that he was just as red as she was. Dorea managed to pluck up enough courage to kiss the corner of Bill's jaw, causing everyone except Fleur, Umbridge, Snape, and Fudge to cheer in happiness. Fleur was glaring murderously at Dorea, Umbridge was furious that they were taking time out of the reading to do this nonsense, Fudge was confused as to whether he should be happy for the pair or not, and Snape raised an eyebrow at the sight. Interesting. So Potter's weakness was the oldest Weasley. The Dark Lord would be interested in knowing that, but if Lily ever found out that Snape intentionally put Bill, someone that she was fond of, in danger just simply to hurt Dorea, he would be killed by a mob of angry redheads. _And not all of them would be Weasleys, either._

Once things began to calm down Babbling continued reading.

**~When Dorea finally left the table, she was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared, and Dorea had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.~**

Mrs. Norris licked her lips, remembering how good those mice had tasted. Meanwhile, Dudley looked shocked. So _that's_ why he had gotten warts in the beginning of summer break?

**~Dorea and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds.~**

Dorea grinned as the Weasleys that had fought against her groaned.

"And that, dear Weasleys, is why you never battle Dorea Lillian Violetta Potter in a snowball Battle Royale." she said matter-of-factly, grinning wickedly as Fred hit the side of his head.

"I think I still have some snow in my brain from when you literally buried me in snowballs." he stated, making everyone laugh. Moody was eyeing Dorea proudly. The girl clearly made a good warrior, if she could take on four boys all by herself and still win when she was only in her first year. Then again, not only was she a Potter, but she was also a Gryffindor as well, and everyone had heard the stories of what a spectacular warrior Godric Gryffindor had made.

**~Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Dorea broke in her new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.~**

Percy shook his head as all the Weasleys chuckled. Like Hermione, Percy sucked at chess.

**~After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.~**

Those who had seen that chuckled at the memory, Percy had nearly run over Ron when the Twins jumped the sofa he and Dorea had been sitting on.

**~It had been Dorea's best Christmas day ever.~**

"The description of it sounds wonderful." Luna said, smiling. "I can never participate in snowball fights, the Nargles keep stealing my winter clothing." she said. Flitwick stared at Luna in shock. She couldn't possibly mean that people in her dorms were stealing her things and hiding them from her, did she? Dorea, however, sent the Ravenclaw table an icy cold glare at spoke what she refused to say.

Give Luna back her stuff or you will all pay dearly for it.

Those who had taken Luna's possessions and hid them gulped, not wanting to get on Dora Potter's bad side. She was so brave, so powerful, so incredible, that they didn't want to get on the bad side of her. Not to mention that she made many fear her without even really trying, like with how she completely destroyed any chances the Dursleys had of fighting her within one minute. She was someone they never wanted to cross, that was for sure.

**~Yet something had been nagging at the back of her mind all day. Not until she climbed into bed was she free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.**

**Being the only one in the dorms meant that Dorea had the complete privacy to do what she wanted, to look at the cloak without worrying about someone finding it and asking about it.~**

Hermione flushed and looked down at her lap - knowing her, she would demand to have Professor McGonagall look at it. So _this_ was why Dorea hadn't found the Firebolt such an odd gift, especially when it didn't have a card. She must have thought it had come from a professor, like Dumbledore. Maybe even McGonagall. Surely they wouldn't sign a card while sending it, not wanting someone to think that they were playing favourites with their students.

**~Dorea leaned over the side of her own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.**

**Her father's this had been her father's. She let the material flow over her hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.**

**She had to try it, now. She slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, she saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.~**

"You are used to it now though, right?" James asked, Dorea nodding.

"It's annoying when I trip of ther ends of the cloak, though. Glad that only happens when I'm running up or down stairs." she said, making James nod in understanding. That had always been annoying.

**~Use it well.**

**Suddenly, Dorea felt wide-awake.**

**The whole of Hogwarts was open to her in this cloak. Excitement flooded through her as she stood there in the dark and silence. She could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.~**

Filch grumbled. He still wouldn't know about it, either. That was what took the cake for him.

**~Dorea thought back to Ron. Should she wake him? Something held her back - her father's cloak - she felt that this time - the first time - she wanted to use it alone.~**

Ron nodded.

"I completely understand, mate. That would be like me inheriting grandpa's chess set, when I first played a game wit it I didn't want any help from dad or Bill when playing with it." he said, Bill and Arthur nodding in agreement with his statement Dorea looked a little relieved, Ron had seemed so angry the next night, she had been worried.

**~She crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.**

**"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Dorea said nothing. She walked quickly down the corridor.~**

Nick laughed, making people jump. The ghosts had been so quiet they had forgotten about them.

"What with all the Potters that have attending Hogwarts and have been sorted into Gryffindor, you'd think that the Lady would know what was going on by now." he chuckled, causing most of the other ghosts, except Myrtle, to join in.

**~Where should she go? She stopped, her heart racing, and thought.~**

The pranksters that never read were hyperventilating. Hopefully she didn't go to the library.

**~And then it came to her. The Restricted Section in the library. She'd be able to read as long as she liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was.~**

Those who had hyperventilated calmed down. It was the Restricted Section. Dorea was safe, in their eyes, from the infectious disease of _bookwormengitus_. And it was for the best, to save whatever was hidden behind Fluffy.

**~She set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around her as she walked.**

**The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Dorea lit a lamp to see her way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Dorea could feel her arm supporting it, the sight gave her the creeps.~**

Dorea cursed. It was that stupid lamp that gave her away.

**~The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, she held up his lamp to read the titles.~**

"Why is it only a rope that separates the sections, anyway?" Lily asked. Madam Pince's eyes narrowed.

"The ropes are charmed to only let myself and the other registered professors through, this has _never_ happened before." she said, looking at Dorea suspiciously. Dorea stared at Madam Pince in shock.

"But - what - how was I able to get past them, then?" she asked, confused. James shrugged.

"Maybe because you're the descendant of two of the Founders?" he asked. Dorea paused and nodded. That would make sense. The Bloody Baron shook his head, sad that no one could tell that Hogwarts was aiding her Champion ever since she came to the school. They, the ones who were all but a part of the school, shook their heads in shame at the fact that no one other than themselves knew that Dorea was Hogwarts' Champion. She had drawn Gryffindor's Sword from the Sorting Hat, after all. And she had the portraits, ghosts, and suits of armour one her side, so how could they not tell that Dorea Potter was Hogwarts' Chosen?

**~They didn't tell her much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Dorea couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood.~**

Sirius shuddered.

"My father donated that book to the school, it's nundu blood that spilled from a vial he had." he said. Everyone shuddered at the thought of a nundu, while Charlie and Michaela looked relatively interested. Sierra shook her head. As long as it wasn't Acromantulas, Michaela was just fine with _any_ XXXXX beast.

**~The hairs on the back of Dorea's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.~**

"Nah, that's your Mage Sense picking up the magic coming from the books." Bill said, patting Dorea's head. She glared up at him.

"_Thanks_, Bill." she said sarcastically. Dumbledore perked up.

"Oh, so she does have Mage Sense?" he asked. Bill and Dorea nodded. "Interesting. Once you learn Occlumency I'll train you in controlling your Mage Sense, Dorea." he said, making the girl grin. Finally, something that Dumbledore acknowledged her over. He wasn't ignoring her anymore. But why did he want her to learn Occlumency first? Dumbledore _was_ a very strange man, after all...

**~She had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, she looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught her eye. She pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on her knee, let it fall open.~**

"NOT THAT ONE!" Lily and Remus shouted, having borrowed James' invisibility cloak during their seventh year to do some extra studying and managed to get to that book, thanks to the fact that Lily had her Restriction Pass on her. A Restriction Pass was given to the Seventh Years that allowed them access to books in the Restricted Section, they just needed to tell Madam Pince what book they were borrowing and why.

**~A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence - the book was screaming!~**

"Just my luck, my daughter goes and grabs the only screaming book in the entire library. Not the one covered in nundu blood, oh no, she has to pick the _one_ book that screams first. Not like Remus and I, who pick the one book that tries to suck your blood first." Lily grumbled, making those that heard her look at her oddly.

**~Dorea snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, ear-splitting note. She stumbled backward and knocked over her lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, she heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside - stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, she ran for it. She passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Dorea slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in her ears.~**

Filch grumbled, he had been so close to catching Dorea in the Restricted Section, _so close..._

The pranksters all lookd at Dorea in awe. It might be because she was so damn tiny, but they had never been able to get away from Filch when they were that close to him, invisible or not!

**~She came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armour. She had been so busy getting away from the library, she hadn't paid attention to where he was going.~**

Everyone winced. That wouldn't be good.

**~Perhaps because it was dark, she didn't recognize where she was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, she knew, but he must be five floors above there.~**

"Yes, they move arou- wait, how do you know where the _kitchens_ are?" McGonagall asked. Dorea shrugged.

"I was following Gred and Forge to them before a party one day, but I lost them just as they disappeared into the kitchens." she said. McGonagall's eyes flickered to the twins.

"And how would you know where the kitchens are?" she asked. Umbridge was shocked, McGonagall cared more about how her students found the kitchens than that they were breaking the rules? The twins shrugged like Dorea had.

"We found a map of the school in our first year. We owe the Marauders so much." they said, their eyes glazing over. Remus, Sirius, and James all nodded.

"Glad to be of help for the next generation of pranksters." they chorused. Fred and George gaped at the three men for a moment before running over to them and bowing at their feet, chanting "We're not worthy!" over and over again. Babbling chuckled at the pair before she continued reading, anxious to know what happened.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section. This lamp was still hot when I got there."

**~Dorea felt the blood drain out of her face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."~**

Dorea snorted at the outraged looks on Snape and Filch's faces.

"I've only ever been caught out of bed after hours once, and that didn't end too well." she said. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs in her year and up looked down at their laps, ashamed of themselves. They had no right to treat Dorea the way they had, they had just been so angry that Dorea, Hermione, and Neville had lost so many points for Gryffindor that they took it out on them. They didn't even know why the three of them had lost so many points to begin with...

**~Dorea stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see her, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into her - the cloak didn't stop her from being solid.~**

"Something a certain Wormtail kept forgetting." Sirius snarled, the Twins looking angry at the thought of one of their heroes being a Death Eating Traitor. Then they looked at Dorea in complete and utter shock. She shifted under their gazes.

"What is it?" she asked, not liking the looks on their faces. Fred and George both knelt on one knee in front of Dorea, each taking one of her hands.

"Marauder Heiress, we humbly apologize for not recognizing you for your greatness before this moment." they said, kissing the back of her hands. Dorea twitched and glared at the two.

"Oh, go prank Snape." she huffed, taking her hands back. Fred and George stood at attention, saluted Dorea, and marched back to their seats, planning a prank to pull. Peeves cackled and floated down to talk to Dorea.

"Missy Potty has two followers, doesn't she?" he snickered, only to get bopped on the nose by Dorea.

"Oh, go prank a toad." she said. Peeves cackled, placed his orange bell-covered hat on Dorea's head before flying off towards the ceiling, letting out a loud "_Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_!" as he twirled in the air. James smirked at Dorea, flicking one of the bells.

"I think you're the first person Peeves has ever given his hat to." he commented. The Gray Lady nodded.

"She is, though that might have more to do with the fact that Peeves still sees her as the innocent, broken girl that we all first met her as." she stated, making everyone look a little confused. _Broken_? What did she mean?

**~She backed away as quietly as she could. A door stood ajar to her left.~**

Dumbledore's jaw dropped._ The door had been **what** now?_

**~It was her only hope. She squeezed through it, holding her breath, trying not to move it, and to her relief she managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Dorea leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before she noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.~**

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody roared, making Dorea roll her eyes.

"Not all of us have magical eyes, Professor. I was busy making sure that Filch and Snape wouldn't be walking in anytime soon." she said. Moody paused and nodded. Safety first. That, and she had only been 11 at the time.

**~It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket - but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.~**

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. No one other than himself had ever seen that classroom before, so why had the door been ajar? He couldn't figure that out for the life of him. Unless Hogwarts had something to do with it, but why would Hogwarts lead Dorea to the Mirror of Erised?

**~It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._~**

James' face paled in horror.

"Stay away from that mirror, Dorea..." he whispered, confusing everyone around him. Why was he so horrified?

Luna, on the other hand, was happily humming. _I show not your face but your hearts desire, what a beautiful inscription..._

**~Her panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Dorea moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at herself but see no reflection again. She stepped in front of it.**

**She had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from screaming.~**

James could be heard muttering "_No no no no no no no no no_..."

**~She whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed - for she had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind her.~**

"What? But how...?" Lily asked, confused. She looked at her husband, who looked as though he was about to have a heart attack.

"My dad told me about that mirror..." he whispered, terrified. "It was in my great-great-great uncle's journal, he literally wasted away in front of it, just staring into it... He never told us what he saw..." he whispered, still confusing everyone around him except Dorea. So that was why her father reacted so badly to hearing about it.

**~But the room was empty.**

**Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror.**

**There she was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind her, were at least ten others. Dorea looked over her shoulder - but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was she in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?~**

"No, no it's not." Dumbledore said sadly, remembering what Dorea said what she saw was.

**~She looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind her reflection was smiling at him and waving. She reached out a hand and felt the air behind her. If she was really there, she'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but she felt only air - she and the others existed only in the mirror.~**

Dorea started to cry, burying her face in Bill's chest. She didn't want to relive this, she didn't want all these people to hear it. Bill wrapped his arms around Dorea, cradling her, kissing her forehead. He didn't know what was upsetting her, but he felt the need to comfort her.

**~She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes - her eyes are just like mine, Dorea thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green - exactly the same shape, but then she noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Dorea's did when it was short.~**

James and Lily realized what Dorea was seeing and attempted to hug her, only having to hug Bill as well in order to do so.

"We're here for you, Bambi." James muttered, resting his head on Dorea's shoulder.

**~Dorea was so close to the mirror now that her nose was nearly touching that of her reflection.**

**"Mum?" she whispered. "Dad?"~**

At the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables, there wasn't a single dry eye. Smith had been kicked out of the Hufflepuff table and was now sitting on the floor.

Umbridge rolled her eyes at all the dramatics. Really, so the bratlette was seeing her parents, what was so special about that? She got to see them every day now.

**~They just looked at her, smiling. And slowly, Dorea looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like hers, other noses like hers, even a little old man who looked as though he had Dorea's knobbly knees - Dorea was looking at her family, for the first time in her life.~**

Dorea buried her head even deeper into Bill chest as Molly began to sob. The first time she was able to see any member of her lost family, and it was on Christmas day.

**~The Potters smiled and waved at Dorea ans she stared hungrily back at them, her hands pressed flat against the glass as though she was hoping to fall through it and reach them. There was only one person that stood out, the young man that was kneeling on the floor next to Dorea's reflection. She recognized him as the blue-eyed boy from her dreams, only he was different now. His hair was long, pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, he was dressed in jeans, dragonhide boots, what appeared to be a leather jacket, a white t-shirt. He had a fang hanging from his one ear. He was smiling at Dorea, his arms wrapped around her protectively. Dorea had a powerful kind of ache inside of her, half joy, half terrible sadess.~**

Bill squeezed Dorea tighter, she shouldn't have to go through something like this, not after all she had lost...

**~How long she stood there, she didn't know. The reflections did not fade and she looked and looked until a distant noise brought her back to her senses. She couldn't stay here, she had to find her way back to bed. She tore her eyes away from her mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.~**

The Twins shook their head.

"I've got a bad feeling about that mirror, Dorea." Fred muttered, looking sadly at the crying girl. "You shouldn't go back to it."

**~"You could have woken me up," said Ron crossly when he found out about Dorea's nighttime adventure.**

**"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."**

**"I'd like to see your mum and dad," Ron said eagerly.~**

_I'm glad I get to now,_ Ron thought, looking at Dorea, her parents, and Bill. _Just not like this..._

**~"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."**

**"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people.~**

Hermione threw a book at Ron.

"Tact, Ron, you're passed the teaspoon!" she shouted, making Dorea chuckle a little before falling back into tears.

**~Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something - why aren't you eating anything?"~**

"You need to eat, Rea." Bill muttered grabbing a small bowl of fruit. Dorea nodded, wiped away the tears still running down her face, and took the bowl from him, slowly beginning to eat.

**~Dorea couldn't eat. She had seen her parents and would be seeing them again tonight. She had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three-headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?~**

"That's why you don't go look in strange mirrors in the middle of the night. They mess with your mind." Fabian said, attempting to lighten to mood. It didn't work.

**~"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."**

**What Dorea feared most was that she might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Dorea's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.**

**"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."**

**"No!" Dorea hissed back at him. "I know it's here somewhere."**

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. Just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Dorea spotted the suit of armour.**

**"It's here - just here - _yes_!"**

**They pushed the door open. Dorea dropped the cloak from around her shoulders and ran to the mirror.~**

"Don't do it..." Fred groaned, holding his stomach. The mirror made him feel sick, and he didn't know why...

**~There they were. Her mother and father beamed at the sight of her, the blue-eyed boy smiling happily as he held her.**

**"See?" Dorea whispered.**

**"I can't see anything."**

**"Look! Look at them all there are loads of them "**

**"I can only see you."**

**"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."**

**Dorea stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, she couldn't see her family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pyjamas.~**

Some people snickered at the fact that Ron own paisley pyjamas, but James finally understood why he never found out why that great-great-great uncle of his wasted away in front of that mirror. No one else saw what he saw.

**~Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.**

**"Look at me!" he said.**

**"Can you see all your family standing around you?"**

**"No - I'm alone - but I'm different - I look older - and I'm head boy!"**

**"What?"**

**"I am - I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to - and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup - I'm Quidditch captain, too."~**

"That sounds like me in our seventh year." James murmured into Dorea's shoulder, refusing to lift his head. His baby girl found out what he looked like in the worst possible way.

**~Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Dorea.**

**"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"**

**"How can it? All my family are dead - let me have another look -"**

**"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."**

**"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that?**

**I want to see my parents."**

**"Don't push me -"~**

"Don't start fighting over it, you two." Sirius groaned. Liky Fred, the mirror gave him a sick feeling, like it was something that wasn't supposed to be.

**~A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.**

**"Quick!"**

**Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Dorea stood quite still, both thinking the same thing - did the cloak work on cats?~**

"Yes, but their sense of smell still tells them that you're there." Sirius answered, having tested it on his animagus form during their sixth year to see why Mrs. Norris still knew where they were under the cloak.

**~After what seemed an age, she turned and left.**

**"This isn't safe - she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on."**

**And Ron pulled Dorea out of the room.~**

"Literally pulled, she didn't want to leave." Ron muttered, worried about his friend. What had so suddenly changed her mind over visiting the mirror?

**~The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.**

**"Want to play chess, Dorea?" said Ron.**

**"No."**

**"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"**

**"No you go "**

**"I know what you're thinking about, Dorea, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."~**

Fred and Sirius nodded in approval. They didn't like that mirror one bit.

**~"Why not?"**

**"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it - and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"**

**"You sound like Hermione."**

**"I'm serious, Dorea, please don't go."~**

"I was serious too." Dorea whispered around a piece of strawberry. Bill kissed er forehead and held her closer, Dorea relishing in the gentle touches. It felt so nice, so safe, so warm...

Neither one of them noticed the way Fleur had broken a nail file while watching them

**~But Dorea only had one thought in her head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop her.~**

Ron sighed remorsefully.

"When can I ever."

**~That third night she found her way more quickly than before. She was walking so fast she knew she was making more noise than was wise, but she didn't meet anyone.**

**And there were her mother and father smiling at him again, the blue eyed boy hugging her again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Dorea sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop her from staying here all night with her family. Nothing at all.**

**Except -**

**"So - back again, Dorea?"~**

Everyone, including Moody, jumped in shock. Someone had been watching Dorea as she was in the room? Moody grunted. Detection charms on the room and a Disillusion charm on the person. Genius. And they probably came when Dorea was looking into the mirror the first night as well. Probably there the second night too.

**~Dorea felt as though her insides had turned to ice.~**

"But doesn't that happen when one of the ghosts touches you?" Luna asked in confusion. Dorea shook her head.

"That's the icy bath, Luna." she said. Luna nodded in understanding. She felt her insides freeze when a ghost touched her. She wondered why.

**~She looked behind her. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Dorea must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror that she hadn't noticed him.~**

"Oh thank Merlin, you can talk some sense into her." Ron sighed in relief, glad that it was Dumbledore that heard and saw everything, not Snape.

**~"I - I didn't see you, sir."**

**"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Dorea was relieved to see that he was smiling.~**

Snape glared at the Headmaster. _No wonder Potter got away with everything, she was his favourite student._

**~"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Dorea, "You, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."**

**"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."**

**"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"**

**"It - well - it shows me my family -"**

**"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."**

**"How did you know -?"**

**"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently.~**

"Disillusionment Charm." Moody grunted, Dumbledore nodding in agreement. Actually, now that he thought about it, it had been Dorea that given him the idea to move the mirror and use it as his protection. Funny, isn't it, that it's the innocence of a child's words that can inspire even the most dull of minds to do wonderful and incredible things.

**~"Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"**

**Dorea shook her head.**

**"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"**

**Dorea thought. Then she said slowly, "It shows us what we want whatever we want "**

**"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them.~**

Ron sunk low in his seat as his older siblings and parents looked at him in horror.

"I don't feel that way anymore..." he muttered, though Susan's eye twitched.

"Well, how else did you expect him to feel? He doesn't get brilliant grades like Bill or Percy, he doesn't have an affinity with animals that Charlie has, he isn't a prankster, and he isn't Ginny! Why else do you think he felt this way, because each of his siblings gets special treatment while he gets what everyone else loves! You can't even remember what colour he prefers for his own bloody Christmas gift!" Susan exclaimed, angered by Molly's shocked look. She didn't expect this? She didn't expect that the way she treated her children was what caused Bill and Charlie to move out of the country, that made Percy so formal, that hurt Fred and George so much, that made Ron's self-esteem plummet, that made Ginny complain about how she was always babied every chance she got? Merlin, this woman was an idiot!

Molly, on the other hand, felt ashamed of herself. _Had she really been,_ she gulped, _**neglecting** Ron? Has she really forgotten everything about her baby boy?_ She tried to think about what she knew about Ron. _He was scared of spiders, he was friends with Dorea and Hermione, he loved food..._ **_And that was it_**. She started a cry as she realized that she knew nothing about her baby boy, when she could list the favourite colours, foods, fears, and bands of her oldest two, she could remember every detail about Percy's life, she knew every prank that the Twins pulled, and she knew almost everything there was to know about Ginny. Hell, she even knew more about Dorea and Hermione than she did about Ron! Molly started sobbing, muttering apologies as Arthur attempting to comfort her, to no avail. Eventually she had to be led from the Hall in order to calm down, Susan on the receiving ends of some glares from the Weasleys. She huffed.

"I was only telling the truth, and you all know it." she said, making everyone who glared at her feel guilty. She was right and they knew it.

Professor Babbling cleared her throat and continued reading, wanting to get this chapter finished with before someone attempted to kill someone else for making someone else cry.

**~However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.~**

James shifted. So that's why his great-great-great uncle wasted away in front of it...

**~"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Dorea, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"~**

"She was punished enough with the knowledge that her parents weren't really there with her." Dumbledore muttered, Nicholas and McGonagall nodding in agreement, though McGonagall was blowing her nose for the second time in recorded history.

**~Dorea slowly stood up.**

**"Sir - Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

**"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."**

**"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"~**

Bill gently tapped Dorea head and sent her a disapproving look.

**~"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."**

**Dorea stared at him.**

**"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will just insist on giving me books."~**

Dumbledore smiled at Dorea.

"And every year since I've gotten at least one pair." he said. Dobby perked up and grinned at Dumbledore.

"Is can make yous socks, Professor Dumbledores sir!" he offered. Dumbledore looked positively radiant at the idea.

"Could you _really_?" he asked, Dobby nodding enthusiastically. Dumbledore smiled at the elf. "I'd like that very much, Dobby."

**~Dorea turned one more time to look in the mirror, one last glance. It was here that she noticed something that she hadn't before, her reflection's robes looked a little... Bulging. Her reflection grinned and turned, causing Dorea's face to burn bright red, causing her to turn and run out the door while pulling up the hood to her cloak, much to Professor Dumbledore's confusion.~**

"And I still don't know why she ran like that." Dumbledore muttered thoughtfully, looking at the book. Now was his chance to find out - if it didn't keep avoiding the subject.

**~It was only when she was back in bed that it struck Dorea that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, she thought as she pounded her pillow into something more comfortable, it had been quite a personal question. Her thoughts then strayed to the last image she had seen in the mirror, her face bright red. Was it even _possible_ for~**

Professor Babbling spluttered in shock as the next few words. Dorea's face burned bright red once again.

"IT MEANT I WANTED A FAMILY OF MY OWN, _ALRIGHT_?" she shouted. Professor Babbling continued, in a much smaller voice though.

**~Was it even _possible_ for an eleven year old to become pregnant?~**

Silence. Pure, still, silence. Dumbledore cleared his ear out.

"Well, since it means that Lady Potter just simply wanted a family to call her own, that isn't such a... A bad thing, now is it?" he stumbled, everyone nodding dumbly. Petunia sneered at her niece. Freak wanted a child at 11 years old. What kind of self-respecting woman wanted a family at 11 years old?

The answer was quite simple, really. One who didn't have one yet.

Professor Babbling then closed the book and looked around.

"That's the end of the chapter." she said slowly, refusing to look at Dorea after reading that last sentence. In fact, almost no one could look at Dorea after that sentence was read. But what Dorea was blushing about wasn't the fact that her reflection was pregnant, or the fact that her family had seemed happy about it.

She was blushing because in the reflection, mirror-Bill had his hand on her stomach, a golden band on his left ring finger, and had mouthed "Mine," to Dorea before kissing, fully _kissing_, her reflection self.

Her desire hadn't been just any family. Her desire was to marry and start a family with Bill.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15, 319**

**I had so much fun writing that mistletoe scene, you don't even know how wide my grin was. Then that last scene was a promise to AddaBlack, where it changes from what it traditionally was. As for it being the 11 year old Dorea being pregnant, it meant that even as a kid she wanted to be with Bill and to start a family with him. If anyone finds it wrong and disturbing, I apologize, but it meant to be nothing more that Dorea's innermost desire shown within her more obvious desire.**

**Review Count: 250**

**YEAH, SPOT ON GUYS! YOU ALL ROCK!**

**Review Goal: 275**

**SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE (and so on and so on) REVIEW**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
**

**THE BUTTON/SPACE (depending on whether you're on the traditional site or mobile version) IS RIGHT DOWN THERE!**


	15. Book 1: Chapter 13

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem!Smart!Political!Abused!Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! The reasons I have for the late update are: 1) laziness. 2) procrastination. 3) I was playing Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess again, and I'm on the water temple. That temple is a bitch to beat, it's a freaking maze!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**: *eye twitches dangerously* No comment on what you think about my story...? And I know that I made that mistake, I read it over after I had already posted it and was practically shooting myself over it.**

**MistBlade8: Aw, thank you! I always look forwards to reviews like that, short but compliment the story in a way that I can't ever complain ^^**

**griffindork93: No, Bill will not keep forcing her to eat more than she's ready to. In the fact of Dorea's shrunken stomach, she's spent years at Hogwarts to repair the damage, and this in late October, near Halloween. The Halloween interlude will be in the week in between readings, in case you were wondering. Thing is, she's also had 4-5 years at Hogwarts to help repair the damage that the Dursleys did to her, not to mention that Madam Pomfrey also healed all the injuries that hadn't been treated yet, so her stomach is smaller than most stomachs, but still closer to the average size than the Dursleys would like. Bill and her family are more like Molly in the sense that they can see how unhealthily thin she is and they want her to get up to a healthy weight. Yes, Mrs. Weasley can be very single minded, at least in this story and all the other stories that I will write. What I meant by that was he thought that Dorea couldn't feel true hatred, that when she said she hated someone that it was just an exaggeration of her dislike towards them. He thought that when she said that she hated someone that it meant that she was being an over-dramatic teenager. They do appear in the library in the fourth book, but that's only to get Ron and Hermione. Other than that, I imagine that they avoid the library like the plague, unless it's for references for pranks. Which is why James and Sirius took Dorea's reasons for sneaking into the library after hours. I think that the Twins would only go into the library before curfew, and would never consider sneaking in there during the night. Hmmm... That scene might be taken in... It would most certainly be interesting... If I do, it'll be to piss of Umbridge - breaking the rules to learn which rules to break to break more rules. Uuuh, it's James and Sirius. They could have done anything to piss her of, though I am considering explaining that prank gone wrong. I somewhat pity Malfoy as well, especially in the seventh book, where you can tell he doesn't really want to follow Snake Face anymore but has to in order to protect his mother. I might write a Drarry story, but I'm not so sure about how it would turn out... That fact annoyed me as well, a mother should know which child prefers what. It wouldn't take much of an effort to sit her husband or a few children down and write down a list to put in the kitchen to make sure everyone gets what they prefer? Her favouring Ginny really pissed me off, my mom doesn't favour my brother because he's the only boy, she doesn't favour me because I'm the youngest, and she doesn't favour my sister because she's the smartest and the oldest. She treats us all equally and understands if we don't do too well on something, whereas Molly ranted on about how Fred and George only got 3 OWLs each. What James meant was the generations that the Invisibility Cloak had been handed down through, but yeah, Dorea is the first Potter girl to be an only child in a few hundred years. Dorea deserves more than just the chance to relax and have fun, she deserves to to able to take a break and worry about teenage things, not the adult things that she's been worried about since month 1 of entering Hogwarts! Flitwick will learn about the stealing his Ravenclaws have been doing and will be seriously upset over the fact that he hadn't noticed it before. Like I said before, when I picture Luna in class I see her a the back looking at everyone and everything with wide owl-like eyes that seem to understand more than everyone thinks. Well, the significance to being Hogwarts' Chosen is Dorea gets assistance from the castle for her side of fights, she knows more about the school than any other Heir or Heiress would on their own, the castle protects her as best it can from outside threats when she's inside it, and if she were to break into the castle or sneak around the castle the portraits, suits of armour, and ghosts would be the ones to help her out when getting around without getting caught, and lead her to the clues that will help protect the castle (ever wonder why Harry literally tripped over Justin Flinch-Fletchy in the second book? That's gonna be why, same with how Dorea found the Mirror of Erised in this book.) We will get an explanation, and yes, the pranks will become amazing now that Dorea has accepted her prankster heritage and can order the current prankster around and they will listen to her... Oh yes, she will have fun with that... Fred and Sirius just have gut instincts that are pretty accurate, and it might... I didn't even realize who I had getting the bad feeling until you actually posted that comment ^^" I don't like it when people write stories that have him doing that, I don't see Dumbledore as the type of man who would do that to an eleven year old. I mean, how would he know that Dorea would even find it to begin with? I loved writing her desire as well, and it's Bil that needs to realize his feelings, remember? As for what happens to them, well, that's going to come into the sixth book. Bwahahahaha, you have to wait a long time to find out what happens }:3 I feel a little evil now ^w^ No, Bill and Fleur will NEVER be getting together in the books, and yes, Dorea and Bill will get together in the books.**

**bloomnskyrules: No, Ron does not have a crush on Dorea, what he meant is that he wanted to see Dorea's parents, but not crying and holding their daughter close to them the way that they were. Snape works solely for himself, if he tells Dumbledore about a raid at the last minute it assures his spot as the spy on the Dark, and if he reports a weakness to Voldemort it assures his position as spy on the Light. He thought about it, but only because finding one of Dorea's weaknesses is his mission from Voldemort at the moment. Ooooh, that part not only will Bill have the students face his wrath, also the professors, and everyone will face Lily and James' wrath. Molly will feel horrible because she never knew about what happened, and ad in the fact that one of the Weasleys would state that it's a good thing that Norbert bit Ron, otherwise he would have gotten a Howler for the detention he would've gotten. She might tell Bill about everything that happened to her after they get together, I'm not sure about that yet... The mistletoe part I had on my mind for a while, I'm thinking about having Peeves hold it for the next Christmas chapter. Though for that one I may have Dorea kiss Bill on the corner of his mouth... That one would be really cute. Hmmm... That idea might work with how I have Dorea confess to Bill... I'll take it into consideration. Hope you like this chapter!**

**Lady Leaf8: Before I respond: dear lady, I was worried when you didn't review my last chapter! I was starting to think something horrible must have happened to you! I get worried about my regular reviewers ^w^ Now to respond: I love that you loved the chapter! That scene at the end was lots of fun to write, especially how no one could look at Dorea because it would be awkward - most of them were picturing an 11 year old Dorea pregnant. But what she really saw was so adorable, my original idea was to have the image shift to an adult Dorea that was married to Bill and around 8 months pregnant, but I decided on the child Dorea to show how purely she was in love with Bill, even the idea of him, as a child. Unfortunately, dear lady, I may have to give up a few of my stories, the ones that I have absolutely no motivation to write.**

**vanillacookies99: Oh wow, I made you blush? I take that as a, well, a compliment, though I really don't understand why... Quality over quantity, I only updated so quickly because I had an entire day to work on the story without break. And thank you for saying this story is original, while most of my stories are based off plot bunnies I got from reading other stories, I generally try to make them as unique as possible. This one I decided to write because I wanted to write a Reading the Books story, but I wanted to write a femHarry/Bill story as well, so... This was born! I love the admiration that this story is getting, it makes me feel like an accomplished fanfiction authoress! :)**

**~O~O~O~**

Dorea was still blushing furiously when Nicholas raised his hand.

"I'll read." he offered. Professor Babbling levitated the book over to the alchemist, who was watching Perenelle, who was looking at Dorea. In her perspective, Dorea's desire wasn't so strange. Although, she was born in a time where women would commonly marry men 5-20 men older than them, most of them getting married at around 13 years old. She remembered when she was 11 she was wondering as to who her betrothed would be and when she would be getting married to him. Every day she thanked which ever god, goddess, or any other Deity that took mercy on her that her betrothed was Nicholas. He was kind, smart, funny, and actually cared so much for her. Nicholas opened the book to the next chapter and grinned at the title.

"What is- oh, this is _rich_!" Perenelle laughed, reading the title over Nicholas' shoulder. Chuckling, Nicholas began to read out loud.

**~CHAPTER THIRTEEN - NICHOLAS FLAMEL**~ he read through the chuckles, only for many others to join him. Oh, the irony that he would be reading a chapter based around him. Nicholas grinned at Perenelle.

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this." he muttered, making his wife roll her eyes. Funny? He was more trenchant than funny.

**~Dumbledore had convinced Dorea not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of her trunk.~**

"Thank Merlin for that." Ron sighed, glad that the girl he saw as a sister had finally been convinced to leave the mirror alone. He had been worried for her sanity because of it...

**~Dorea wished she could forget what she'd seen in the mirror as easily, but she couldn't. She started having nightmares. Over and over again she dreamed about her parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.~**

Dorea shuddered. It wasn't too far from the truth, actually. Not far at all...

**~"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Ron, when Dorea told him about these dreams.~**

"And I take it back." Ron muttered. "You already were mad." Susan chuckled at his biting comment while Dorea only stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shut up, bro!" she mocked. Ron chuckled.

"Never, sis!" he teased her. Bill looked at the two with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. This is why you can't think of Dorea as anything more than as a sister, because she's already so close to your brother... If things were to go bad it would only make things awkward for everyone...

**~Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Dorea being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"),~**

"Which was a very real possibility, considering that Dorea had only told me the watered down version where Filch was just in the other hall. She never told me that she literally _ran under his arm_ in order to escape." Hermione growled, glaring at Dorea without any malice. Dorea shrugged and rested her head on Bill's shoulder. It wasn't that she didn't care, she just didn't want Hermione to worry about her. she didn't like being worried over when there were more important factors to take into account.

**~and disappointment that she hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.~**

"Sorry about that, I didn't know what the Mirror does to people." Hermione apologized, much to Dorea's annoyance.

"I never held a grudge against you to begin with, and since there's nothing to forgive, I can't accept your apology." Dorea said, making both Ron and Hermione twitch. Dorea was too forgiving for her own good. Knowing her, she would forgive someone right away if they abandoned her in a forest and then came back spewing apologies to her.

**~They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Dorea was still sure she'd read the name somewhere.~**

Remus thought for a moment and smirked. Now he understood what the Trio meant when they said 'all that time' at the beginning of the book.

**~Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Dorea had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.**

**Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits.~**

"Unfortunately." the other six members of that team said. Dorea shuddered.

"Playing Quidditch in the rain with glasses is murder." she muttered, James nodding in agreement.

"Even more so when you're a Chaser and have to keep an eye on everyone at all times." he grumbled, thinking back to the Quiditch match in his thrid year where he broke his nose because he missed the Quaffle, all due to the fact that the rain had completely covered his glasses and he could barely see.

**~Fred and George complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Dorea was on Wood's side.~**

Oliver stood up, hugged Dorea, and sat back down with a completely stoic face. Alicia started to brood. So _that_ was why the first year hadn't been complaining with the rest of them... The seventh year Chaser smiled. She felt bad for when Dorea was captain of the Quidditch team. Those poor blokes would end up dead from the training she would put them through. And Katie would be one of them.

**~If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years.~**

Everyone began cheering at the idea of that happening.

**~Quite apart from wanting to win, Dorea found that she had fewer nightmares when she was tired out after training.~**

Michaela nodded.

"That's probably because you were thinking of anything other than the mirror before you fell asleep, and you fell into REM sleep faster than you would otherwise." she said, earning odd looks from everyone. She huffed in annoyance. "Psychology interests me, alright?"

**~Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.~**

Charlie narrowed his eyes at the twins, as did James.

"Do you realize how much that interferes with the practices the other players are performing? It could seriously damage your skill level if you keep that sort of attitude up while practising Can't you tell that this could affect how your Chasers - sorry, don't know your names yet, girls - and Wood? Or how about Dorea? If you lost a game because Dorea couldn't catch the Snitch in time due to your antics, do you _realize _how guilty she would feel? Or how about your team lost because the Chasers missed a goal because they hadn't practised the maneuver that they had just done enough? Or how about if Wood missed a few Quaffles because he was too busy yelling at the two of you to get your acts together? If you're playing Quidditch for the fun of it, then do whatever the bloody hell("CHARLIE! _LANGUAGE_!") you please, but if it's playing for a team that represents more than just you, then CUT IT OUT!" Charlie ranted, James and Wood nodding in agreement. Michaela's grandmother looked at Charlie in shock.

"But isn't Quidditch just a game?" she asked with a strange accent. Charlie, Wood, James, Sirius, and Dorea all shook their heads slowly at the elderly elf.

"Quidditch isn't just fun and games, it is _war_." James said solemnly. The Bulgarians nodded in agreement before Perenelle poked Nicholas into reading, otherwise they would listen to an hour of pure Quidditch talk. As much as she enjoyed Quidditch, she didn't want to talk about it for an hour and then have to restart the chapter because Nicholas forgot where he had been. He'd done that before.

**~"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"**

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.~**

Everyone either chuckled, giggled, or just simply laughed at that part. Umbridge was silently fuming during the five minutes of laughter. _Stupid blood-traitors don't deserve such kindness and acceptance..._

**~"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud.~**

The laughter began again, ringing through the Hall as George grimaced. Mud was not tasty in the slightest. Though it was still better than the booger bean.

**~"When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."~**

Everyone nodded their head in agreement while the other professors glared at the Potions Master. While they may be more favourable towards their own Houses, at least they treated the other Houses fairly as well!

**~The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.**

**"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."~**

Lily let out a single burst of sarcastic laughter.

"Please, Snivellus would give any team other than Gryffindor penalty shots because James and Sirius played Quidditch while he could barely fly a foot off the ground in school without worrying that someone was going to laugh at him." she snarled, glaring at the man. "Someone could have started to strangle Dorea and he would probably say that if Dorea was really playing Quidditch, she could have dodged them easily, then probably make some snide remark about James before he matured." At this, Dorea looked a little confused. _Had Snape been right about how her father was? But the way her mother said it, her father matured and saw what he was doing... If Snape had matured as well, he would have been able to realize that her father was just a kid when he was horrible._ Dorea shook her head._ Unless her father himself told her that he was horrible, she wouldn't be able to believe it. **Especially** not from Snape._

**~Which was all very well, thought Dorea, but she had another reason for not wanting Snape near her while she was playing Quidditch**

**The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Dorea headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where she found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Dorea and Ron thought was very good for her.~**

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"Can't be great at everything." she said fondly, both Ron and Dorea beaming at her with pride. Fleur sent Hermione a strange look.

"What do 'ou mean, can't be great at everyzing? Dorea Potter seems to do _everyzing_ perfectly." she said snottily, making all three members of the Trio snort. At the raised eyebrows, they began to explain.

"Dorea can't draw freelance pictures for the life of her, she needs to know exactly how things are supposed to look in order to draw it." Hermione said, thinking about the one picture that Dorea attempted to draw to show herself and Ron what the hallway and door from her dreams looked like. They thought it was a cyclops.

"Dorea can hardly ballroom dance, modern dancing she's fine with, but ballroom dancing kills her partner's toes." he said, George nodding in agreement. He had taken Dorea to the Yule Ball last year because of the fact that Alicia had gotten sick at the last minute and Dorea still didn't have a date that she would willingly go with. His toes were still bent oddly from the dance that they shared...

"I can't play beer pong for the life of me." Dorea said proudly. Upon seeing the suspicious glances she was getting, she quickly added onto her statement. "We use Butterbeer instead of muggle beer." She waved her hand at Nicholas, telling him to continue before things got out of hand.

**~"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Dorea sat down next to him, "I need to concen-" He caught sight of Dorea's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."~**

Susan gave Ron a one-armed hug. She smiled at his puzzled face.

"That's for caring about Dorea." she explained. Ron didn't feel any less confused, but everyone else seemed to understand what Susan meant. That even though Ron could be a prat, he was still a great friend.

**~Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Dorea told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.~**

Remus sent Dorea a scolding look. Dorea snorted at him.

"I _refuse_ to apologize to the man that has done nothing but belittle me and insult my father." she growled, glaring up at Snape. The greasy haired man held up his chin and refused to look at anyone. He turned his head away, hooked nose in the air. Lily snorted. He looked like a spoiled little princess.

**~"Don't play," said Hermione at once.~**

"Like I would let that happen!" Oliver scoffed, waving away the idea. "Dorea only gets away with not playing when she's unconscious. Only time. Ever." Lily and James exchanged looks while Bill held Dorea tighter. _ Unconscious?_

**~"Say you're ill," said Ron.~**

"We'd drag her to Madam Pomfrey." Angelina insisted.

**~"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.~**

"Again, drag her to Madam Pomfrey." Alicia nodded in agreement with Angelina's earlier statement.

**~"Really break your leg," said Ron.~**

"Do we even _need_ to say it?" Fred and George asked, looking at the three Chasers. The girls shook their head, making the Twins nod. "Alright, we'll say it anyway. We'd drag her to Madam Pomfrey." The Chasers groaned as everyone else chuckled, Molly shaking her head in shame. How she could have given the Twins their odd sense of humour she would never know, because she knew that Arthur's family never had such senses of humour.

**~"I can't," said Dorea. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."~**

The Gryffindor Quidditch team blinked.

"We should _really_ rectify that..." Angelina muttered, her fellow Chasers nodding. James and Charlie shook their heads in shame.

"Not having a reserve Seeker is a bloody stupid move. Even if they aren't all that great, a reserve is better than none." Charlie muttered, Oliver groaning as he nodded.

"I never thought we would ever _need_ a reserve..." he mumbled, making everyone look at either Oliver in confusion or Dorea in concern. _What did Oliver mean by he never thought they would need on, and what had Dorea done to make them need one that they didn't have?_

**~At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.~**

Lily and Remus both growled and glared at the floor. Neville flushed and looked down.

"I was alright, Hermione reversed the curse." he muttered to his feet. Lily and Remus both beamed at Hermione with pride and thankfulness.

**~Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter curse, and Dorea, who was staring at him in shock, thinking back to the time Dudley had tied her ankles to a rock and pushed her into a river.~**

Growls sounded through the hall as everyone that cared about or was beginning to care about Dorea glared at Dudley Dursley. He shrunk back into the couch, trying to hide.

**~It was only thanks to the river being only a foot deep that nothing bad had happened to her.**

**Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.~**

Seamus and Dean felt horrible. They hadn't seen Neville trembling, they thought that he hadn't been scared at all from the curse, what with how he was back in the dorm room after...

**~"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Dorea and Ron, who was nursing a bump on his head from where Dorea whacked him with her Defense text.~**

Bill snickered.

"You're an abusive friend." he said, only to get his chest whacked by Dorea. He rubbed the stinging spot on the muscle of his chest. "Damn, you're all knuckle, baby girl." he whined. Dorea smiled and batted her eyelashes at him playfully.

"I'm only knuckle when I'm annoyed." she bantered with him. Bill grinnd and pinched her cheek playfully.

"Cheeky brat." he whispered, kissing her forehead. He looked back at the book, feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He didn't know why he felt like this, he couldn't explain why Dorea made his heart pound so wildly. _Could it be... Nah, it couldn't. No way. She was Ron's age, even if he did, she wouldn't feel the same way back. She never could..._

Dorea looked at Bill's head, turned away from her. Dorea could feel a depression biting into her like an icy wind. _Why couldn't he look at her? Why did he **have** to look away?_

**~"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."~**

Malfoy was completely hiding under the table once he saw the amount of glares that he was receiving because of that one comment.

**~"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"**

**Neville shook his head.**

**"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.**

**"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."~**

Ron shook his head sadly while Susan punched his arm.

"That came out wrong, I meant to say that he shouldn't just let Malfoy walk all over him the way he does." he explained, Neville nodding.

"Ron doesn't really have a way with words. In fact, he's horrible with them." Neville said, laughing when Ron attempted to throw something at him.

**~"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.**

**Dorea felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given her for Christmas. She gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.~**

Parkinson grinned darkly.

"Fat crybaby." she cackled. The crystal goblet in front of her shattered, the pieces disintegrating into a pile of dust before they could harm anyone. Parkinson shrieked and fell off her seat, looking around wildly for the culprit. The only person she saw that was suspicious was Dorea Potter, who was glaring icily at Pansy, her hand twitching as if it desired to hold something familiar in it. Pansy froze at the look in Dorea's eyes. Those eyes, those Killing Curse green eyes, they looked as though... As though Dorea was contemplating how long she would get in Azkaban for murdering Parkinson right then and there.

"There may not currently be a Blood Feud between the Houses of Parkinson and Potter, but if you continue to keep this up attitude and opinion of everyone and continue to insult my Allies, there will be more than a simple Blood Feud between the two of our families. Am. I. Understood?" Dorea growled out, every single knowledgeable pureblood or halfblood frozen, staring at Dorea in shock and horror.

Dorea had just threatened Parkinson with a Blood War.

A Blood War was one step above a Blood Feud. While a Blood Feud allowed the participating Families to kill each other upon insults, a Blood War allowed participating Families murder for no other reason than they see each other. A Blood War is only resolved when one of the Families and their Allies are completely destroyed. Parkinson gulped and slowly sat herself back onto her seat, looking around with terrified eyes. No one wanted to be near her. No one wanted anything to do with her, and she knew why. It was because she had angered Dorea Potter into contemplating a Blood War and murder.

**~"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Dorea said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."~**

"But _you_ were almost a Slytherin." Blaise pointed out. Everyone who insulted Slytherins in front of Dorea felt horrible over the fact once again, they really shouldn't judge someone based on their Houses. Bill and Charlie knew this well, they were friends and coworkers with people that were once in Slytherin, some of them from Durmstrang. Dorea shrugged. They really didn't care that Dorea was almost a Slytherin, in Bill's eyes it just made her more unique.

"I was trying to cheer Neville up, and I never wanted anyone to find out that I was nearly sorted into Slytherin either." she explained. Blaise nodded, he could understand that opinion.

**~Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.**

**"Thanks, Dorea I think I'll go to bed D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"**

**As Neville walked away, dorea looked at the Famous Wizard card.**

**"Dumbledore again," she said, "He was the first one I ever -" She gasped. ~**

Remus grinned. So he was right!

**~She stared at the back of the card. Then she looked up at Ron and Hermione.**

**"I've _found_ him!" she whispered. "I've found Flamel! I _told_ you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - listen to this: _'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'_!"~**

Nicholas put the book down, a wicked grin on his face. He looked directly at the Trio, all of whom were wallowing in misery.

"On the back of a _Chocolate Frog Card_?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. All three of them slowly nodded, not able to look anyone in the eye. Nicholas and Perenelle shared a long look before they both burst into hysterical laughter, Nicholas actually falling off his chair. Dumbledore himself was chuckling, amused by the entire situation. The one to discover where the Stone was and to save it found out who Nicholas Flamel was thanks to a Chocolate Frog Card. Who knew that would happen?

Flitwick took to book from where the still hysterical Nicholas placed it, looking over at the Trio before he began reading. All of them were bright red and looking down at their laps. He chuckled at the sight of Bill snuggling with Dorea, only for her face to burn an even brighter red. They were such a cute couple, and he was glad that he made a bet with McGonagall that they two would end up together by next week they read in the latest.

**~Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.~**

Hermione blushed but chuckled with the laughter that rang through the Hall.

"It was magical homework, what did you expect?" she asked, only for the laughter to increase for a few minute before it calmed down enough for Flitwick to continue reading, his squeaky voice just heard over the remaining chuckles and the laughter emitted from the Flamels.

**~"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Dorea and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms. Dorea recognized it as the one Hermione would read during her free time.**

**"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."~**

"Mia, we need to sort out what is light reading and what's not." George told Hermione, who flushed and refused to look at him. George felt a pang in his heart, a pang that Fred could feel through their Twin Bond, a bond that most magical twins had that connected them in mind and spirit. Few twins didn't receive the bond, most of those people being the fraternal twins. Fred knew what that pang meant, even if George didn't. George was in love with Hermione.

**~"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. Dorea looked at Hermione curiously. Didn't the book have an index?~**

"No, it didn't Dorea." Hermione stated, rolling her eyes at Dorea's confused look. "The book had the index torn out of it. Madam Pince told me about that before I borrowed the book. Apparently it got in between someone and a Monster Book of Monsters. Now that I think about it, it's a miracle that the book only lost one page."

**~At last she found what she was looking for.**

**"I knew it! I knew it!"**

**"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.~**

The Weasleys snorted. Only someone who was a member of their family, or so close that they were considered family, could ignore Ron when he said something like that.

**~"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"~**

"Of course!" James said, hitting his fist to an open palm. "_That's_ why his name sounded so familiar!" Lily and Remus shook their heads in shame as Sirius nodded in agreement with James. How could they be so smart, yet so stupid at the same time?

**~This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected. .**

**"The _what_?" said Dorea and Ron.~**

Nicholas and Perenelle only laughed harder. Flitwick raised his voice to read over them, his voice almost constantly squeaking from the effort to keep it raised above the laughter. This made many of the students chuckle, hearing him squeak in the middle of a sentence. It was like hearing someone's voice crack.

**~"Oh, _honestly_, don't you two read? Look - read that, there."**

**She pushed the book toward them, and Dorea and Ron read:~**

The Flamels finally calmed down enough that Nicholas could continue reading. He found the place that Flitwick left off at and spoke, chuckles still sounding through his readings.

**~_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._**

_**There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).**_

**"See?" said Hermione, when Dorea and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"**

**"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Dorea. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."~**

"Not the Elixir," Perenelle muttered darkly, regretting her decision to ever take the blasted potion. "It freezes any bodily systems that are not completely necessary to live, and we can't Blood Adopt because the Elixir would kill the child." Though she did not say this loudly, the words that came from her lips sounded throughout the Hall and pierced the hearts of all those who had yet to have children. _To live forever, but at the price of never being capable to have children... To live forever, frozen in time..._ People began to shake their heads slowly, deciding that they would rather grow old and have families of their own than to live with eternal youth and to never have a family. Especially those who considered family the greatest gift possible, they could never choose anything else over their family, especially their ability to have a family. Though some of the girls looked more considerate, it meant that they would never have to suffer through another menstrual cycle again. In the end, they would rather have children than live forever.

Nicholas continued reading through the silence that reigned in the Hall.

**~"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"~**

Nicholas and Dumbledore both chuckled.

"I don't exactly think that makes me simply old, either, eh, Albus?" Nicholas asked. Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head.

"I believe you are the only people alive that are the correct term of 'ancient', seeing as how you were alive during Renaissance." he said. Perenelle glared at Dumbledore for calling her ancient.

**~The next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Dorea and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Dorea remembered about Snape and the coming match.~**

Oliver gasped and clutched his heart. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"She was thinking about the Philosopher's Stone. I think that's more important than Quidditch." he said. Oliver looked at the older man as though he had just committed the greatest blasphemy ever conceivable. Viktor chuckled from his spot.

"I think that he is going to kill either Charlie or Dorea." he said with a faint accent, having gotten used to speaking English the past few days. The Gryffindors and Weasleys all glared at Oliver.

"We'll never let him."

**~"I'm going to play," she told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."~**

The Gryffindor House began to cheer.

**~"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.~**

"Hey, I'm the pessimist out of all of us! Ron's the optimist, and you're the realist!" Dorea laughed, mock glaring at Hermione. Hermione shrugged and smiled.

"We're all allowed out moments." she said simply, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

**~As the match drew nearer, however, Dorea became more and more nervous, whatever she told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?~**

"YES!" everyone shouted, clearly confident in the abilities of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

**~Dorea didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she seemed to keep running into Snape wherever she went. At times, she even wondered whether Snape was following her, trying to catch her on her own.~**

Snape glowered. He had been attempting to catch Dorea breaking a rule, doing something that would warrant a detention.

**~Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Dorea. Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Philosopher's Stone?~**

"No, I did not know you had found out until Dumbledore announced to the professors what had happened the last few weeks that year." Snape sneered, earning confused looks and glares from several different people.

**~Dorea didn't see how he could - yet she sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.~**

Snape smirked and Lily snarled.

"She had a block on any Occlumency abilities, you bastard." she hissed, making Snape pale. Dorea Potter had a _block_ on her abilities? Was _that_ why it was so easy to get into her mind?

**~Dorea knew, when they wished her good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see her alive again.~**

"Were not!" Hermione said while Ron blushed.

"Only a little."

**~This wasn't what you'd call comforting.~**

"No wonder." Angelina snapped, remembering the tension in the locker room that dary.

**~Dorea hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as she pulled on her Quidditch robes and picked up her Nimbus Two Thousand.~**

"Wait, how do the locker rooms work? Do you all change together?" Neville asked, confused. Dorea snorted.

"There's an enchanted cloth that allows us to talk to each other, but no matter what anyone tries, until everyone is decently dressed no one can remove or see through." she said. Oliver glared.

"Yes, I remember the one time that Katie refused to change into her school uniform after practice because she was annoyed at something I had said." he grumbled, the girls all laughing at the memory of watching Katie dance around the girls' changing room in nothing but her undergarments, singing 'I'm Too Sexy' at the top of her lungs just to piss Oliver off.

**~Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match.~**

Lily and James face palmed while Moody shouted out his catchphrase.

"You keep your wands on you at all times, and get a spare one if you can afford it. You never know when it could save your life." Lily said, making Dorea nod.

"That's why I have two wand holders, I'm planning on getting a second wand once I turn 17. I only use the one on my wrist, though." she said, taking something off her wrist, only for it to become visible. "After second year I got two wand holders that my wand automatically returns to and a different trunk that had Anti-Theft, Anti-Fire, and Anti-Flood Wards on it." she explained, making Hermione and Ron nod. She had told them about how Diary-Riddle had gotten her wand, and after Hermione had privately been told that Ginny had rummaged through Dorea's trunk and why, the reasons were completely self-explanatory.

**~Little did Dorea know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practising the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Dorea.~**

The Marauders snickered at the look on Snape's face.

"If someone is on a broom and that happens they tip upside down and slowly float to the ground, only so they end up in a headstand." Lily explained, remembering when James did that to Snape during a fight the two of them had during their sixth year. So they were planning a repeat of that, huh...? The Hall laughed for a bit at the idea of that happening to snape before Nicholas continued.

**~"Now, don't forget, it's _Locomotor Mortis_," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.**

**"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."~**

"Sorry, 'Mione..." Ron muttered. Hermione laughed it off.

"Really, I knew you didn't mean it. We had to drag you away from food, so you weren't in the best of moods that day." she stated, the Weasleys all snorting. Yeah, Ron wouldn't be in a good mood after that.

**~Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Dorea aside.**

**"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much."~**

"Good advice." James nodded.

**~"The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even - blimey - Dumbledore's come to watch!"**

**Dorea's heart did a somersault.~**

"You may want to get that checked." Luna said absentmindedly, twirling a lock of her hair like Michaela was doing while talking to Charlie. She may not realize it, but she was flirting with the older man.

**~"Dumbledore?" she said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.~**

"Is it _really_ that recognizable?" Dumbledore asked, amused. Everyone nodded at him, agreeing with Dorea's statement. No one else had that super-wizard beard, as the muggleborns would put it. Michaela looked at Dumbledore considerably.

"You know, he looks a little like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings..." she muttered thoughtfully. The other misfits looked at Dumbledore introspectively and nodded in agreement, Dumbledore did look a lot like the Grey-turned-White Wizard from the famous series. He even acted a little like him as wel, just a little more senile...

**~Dorea could have laughed out loud with relief, she was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try to hurt her if Dumbledore was watching.~**

"Wrong man, but I was still right. He wouldn't dare attempt to hurt me with Dumbledore right there." Dorea muttered darkly, fingers dancing along her neck. Lily, James, and Bill exchanged fearful looks. If it hadn't been Snape, then who had it been?

**~Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.~**

Snape snorted.

"I had wasted my time attempting to keep that brat safe when I hadn't needed to referee at all. I could have been making potions for the Hospital Wing during that time span." Snape grumbled. Vector patted Snape's shoulder soothingly, only to back down when Snape glared at her. The man had a frightening glare, she didn't know how Dorea Potter managed to work with it on her almost all the time...

**~"I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look - they're off. Ouch!"**

**Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head.**

**It was Malfoy.**

**"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."~**

"Wait, so you didn't see the flaming red head of hair right in front of you?" Luna asked, confused. Cat patted her shoulder.

"No, he made up a pathetic excuse as to why he poked the back of Ron's head." she muttered. Luna nodded and narrowed her eyes.

"That must be the work of wrackspurts. I really should get him a ring to ward them away, wrackspurts do horrible things to judgement..." she muttered, fingering her turnip earrings. Michaela looked over at them, interested.

"Are those hjartathin, Fae Turnips?" she asked. Luna nodded enthusiastically.

"The Tree Fae absolutely love them and have explained their abilities to daddy and I. They ward off harmful wrackspurts, though the befuddling ones remain." she explained dreamily. Hermione and the Ravenclaws blinked. So wrackspurts were _real_? But Luna had just made them up... _Hadn't_ _she_?

**~Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.**

**"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on her broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"**

**Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him.~**

"I was aiming for the Hufflepuff that was attempting to flirt with Katie." George clarified. Molly smiled at her son while Katie blushed. George treated herself and Dorea like the innocent baby sisters, while Fred would threaten any boy that approached them.

**~Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Dorea, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.**

**"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents,~**

The Gryffindors started to growl at the hiding Malfoy Heir. Those that had played Quidditch were fingering their wands.

**~then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money -~**

Dorea began muttering borderline-Dark hexes and Curses under her breath, vowing to use them on Malfoy one of these days.

**~you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."~**

Remus turned and glared at the empty seat.

"I guess that makes you perfect for the Slytherin team then, because you're the second biggest coward that I've ever met." he snapped, eyes amber. Moony was enraged that someone dared to insult his cub. From under the Slytherin table, Malfoy blinked. _Who was the biggest coward that the werewolf had ever met?_

**~Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.**

**"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.~**

"And it's true!" everyone in the Circle shouted, causing Neville's face to burn bright red. Sierra smiled and hugged Neville, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Doesn't matter what that git Malfoy says, you're worth more than Malfoy ever could because you're honest and loyal, two traits that Malfoy is missing." she whispered. Neville's face only burned a brighter red as he felt Sierra's breath on his neck. She smelt like apple cider...

All too soon she pulled away.

**~Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."**

**"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."~**

"More poor sounds more proper, idiot." Theo sneered.

**~Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Dorea.~**

"Thanks Ron." Dorea smiled at her friend. Ron tipped his imaginary hat to her.

"Anytime, baby sis."

**~"I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word -"**

**"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Dorea -"**

**"What? Where?"**

**Dorea had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth,~**

George sent Hermione a questioning look that she ignored. For now.

**~as Dorea streaked toward the ground like a bullet.~**

"Those are the pieces of metal that come from a gun, they can move at about 340 meters per second." Lily explained. The purebloods that hadn't had any idea what a bullet was gasped in shock. _That_ _fast_? That was far faster than the _Firebolt_ could move!

**~"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.**

**Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him,~**

Michaela immediately began gagging and rubbing her eyes.

"_Not_. A. Yaoi. Pairing. I. Want. To. Envision." she said between gags. Dorea's face burned bright red as it contorted into a look of disgust.

"You've passed the sewers, Michaela! You're - You're - what's past the sewers?" she asked Hermione. She rolled her eyes.

"The sewage treatment plant." she said. Dorea narrowed her eyes in focus.

"Fine. She's in the sewage then." she determined. Michaela could only laugh at Dorea's tone when she said that - it was a tone that said _'end of arguement, no questions asked'_.

**~wrestling him to the ground.**

**Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.**

**"Come on, Dorea!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Dorea sped straight at Snape - she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.~**

Sirius looked at Neville in awe.

"You took on two gorillas by yourself?" he asked. Neville' blushed and nodded. Sirius grinned. "_That's_ Frank and Alice's boy!" he shouted, his voice filled with pride. Neville looked at Sirius in shock. He had never heard someone say that with such pride before...

**~Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches the next second, Dorea had pulled out of the dive, her arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in her hand.**

**The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.~**

"That match was exactly 4 minutes and 15 seconds long, breaking Charlie Weasley's record of 7 minutes and 8 seconds. The record prior to that had been set by Alice Bell, later to be Longbottom, that was 10 minutes and 5 seconds." McGonagall said informatively. Neville and Katie looked interested. They hadn't known Alice Lonbgottom had been born a Bell.

**~"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Dorea's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.~**

Everyone cheered again, though some people grew solemn as they remembered what had happened after this match. Dorea had lost Gryffindor the lead and none of them knew why yet.

**~Dorea jumped off her broom, a foot from the ground. She couldn't believe it. She'd done it - the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes.~**

"It wasn't even five minutes." Oliver corected, pride evident on his face. The Bulgarians were all staring at Dorea in shock - and that was during her _first_ year! What had they gotten themselves into...?

**~As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, she saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped - then Dorea felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.**

**"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Dorea could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror Been keeping busy Excellent "~**

"It really was." Ron nodded, mentally thanking Dumbledore once again for helping Dorea the way he had.

**~Snape spat bitterly on the ground.~**

A Hufflepuff gasped in shock.

"_That's_ what caused that bald spot on the field?" she asked, staring at Snape in shock. She flinched and hid behind Justin as the Hall burst out laughing and Snape glared icily at the second year girl who had innocently asked the question.

**~Dorea left the locker room alone some time later, to take her Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broom shed. She couldn't ever remember feeling happier. She'd really done something to be proud of now - no one could say she was just a famous name any more.~**

Every student in Dorea's year and higher flinched, remembering what would be happening next. That they only focused on the facts that Dorea was famous and that she lost Gryffindor the lead. They were absolutely horrible to her and they still didn't know why she had lost those points...

**~The evening air had never smelled so sweet. She walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in her head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift her onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.~**

Molly looked as though she was about to fuss over Ron, only for Susan to tackle Ron in a hug and for the other Weasley to cheer him on.

"Gave Malfoy a black eye and a fat lip." Ron said proudly, causing the Weasley to cheer ever more. A Malfoy with a black eye and a bloody nose, that was a sight to see.

**~Dorea had reached the shed. She leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. She'd done it, she'd shown Snape**

**And speaking of Snape...~**

Everyone looked at Snape curiously. What was he doing - _er_ - what _had_ he _done_?

**~A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Dorea's victory faded from her mind as she watched. She recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner - what was going on?~**

What indeed.

**~Dorea jumped back on her Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle she saw Snape enter the forest at a run. She followed.~**

Snape glowered.

"I arranged for us to meet in the Forest so as to not be overheard, Potter." he sneered. Dorea shrugged, not really caring. Remus cleared his throat and glared at the professor.

"She has James and Lily's curiosity, it's not her fault." he said. Lily and James both glared at Remus.

"_HEY_!"

**~The trees were so thick she couldn't see where Snape had gone. She flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until she heard voices. She glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree. She climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to her broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.**

**Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Dorea couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever.~**

Lily, James, and Bill all stared at Dorea in shock. _Quirrell_? _Quirrell_ was the one after the Stone? They thought back to the day that Dorea went to Gringotts and paled. Quirrell had been there that day. How could they have _missed_ it? _He_ let the troll in as a distraction, _he _had been the one that tried to kill Dorea - but _why_? What was his _motive_?

**~Dorea strained to catch what they were saying.**

**"-d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus "**

**"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."~**

At this, everyone looked pointedly at the Trio. They snorted.

"If we didn't go danger-hunting, the school would be closed at Voldemort would've ben back 3 years earlier." Dorea said. Umbridge shot out of her seat.

"LIES!" she shouted, pointing at Dorea. Bill glared at her.

"These books will prove that the Ministry is the one lying here, not Dorea or Dumbledore." he snarled. People stared at Bill in surprise - why was he so protective of Dorea? They looked at Bill, who was clutching Dorea into his lap as though afraid that if he let her go she would disappear. _He couldn't like her, could he? But he was 10 years older than her, the idea of it... _The purebloods and magically raised halfbloods seemed alright with the idea. After all, Dorea was 15, the age of consent. If the two of them wanted to start a relationship it would be completely legal.

**~Dorea leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.**

**"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"**

**"B-b-but Severus, I -"**

**"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.~**

Snape sighed.

"Now I see how I appeared suspicious to Potter and her lackeys." Snape sighed. Sinistra glared at Snape. She liked Dorea, thank you.

**~"I-I don't know what you-"**

**"You know perfectly well what I mean."**

**An owl hooted loudly, and Dorea nearly fell out of the tree.**

**She steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "- your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."~**

"Really wish I had heard the entire statement." Dorea whispered. Moody looked at Dorea appreciatively.

"You'd make a good Auror, Unspeakable even." he said simply, making those who had trained under him splutter in shock. Moody _never_ said such things! H-He was the most picky of Aurors in existence!

**~"B-but I d-d-don't -"**

**"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."~**

Ron's face darkened.

"He chose the wrong side. He chose the wrong side since the beginning." he snarled. Susan looked at him in shock. What did Ron mean by that?

**~He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Dorea could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.~**

Those who had been petrified froze at the memories. Big, bright yellow eyes flashed into their vision. It took someone shaking all of them for each one to snap back into reality.

**~"Dorea, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked when Dorea found her and Ron.**

**"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Dorea on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye and a fat lip, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold, but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."~**

All those who had been in the kitchens chuckled.

"They practically give the food away." Fred chuckled happily, remembering the House Elves. Dobby was the most helpful by far, always telling the other House Elves that they were friends of _'the great Miss Dorea Potter, only the best for friends of the great Miss Dorea Potter!'_

**~"Never mind that now," said Dorea breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this "**

**She made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them,~**

"Good idea." the Bloody Baron nodded, smiling at Dorea. Those who hadn't seen the Baron smile before stared at him in shock, they never knew he even _could_ smile.

**~then she told them what she'd seen and heard.**

**"So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus' - I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments,~**

Those who had protected the Stone nodded. They were interested in how the Trio got past their protections - Snape glared at Hermione. The Granger girl was, as much as he hated to admit it, a genius, and the riddle was probably something that came to her easily.

**~probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through -"~**

Dorea the snorted. Quirrell had a troll, not some Anti-Dark Arts spell.

**~"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.**

**"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.~**

Everyone in the Hall laughed as Nicholas closed the book.

"That's the end of the chapter. Who should read next?" he asked, looking around. No one volunteered as they were too busy contemplating what happened in this chapter. Snape couldn't be after the Stone, as he was still teaching at the school. So who had been after it, and why?

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 11,364**

**Oh wow, short for a week of working on it... Again, I am so sorry for the long wait!**

**Review Count: 279**

**Awesome you guys! I love you all so much right now!**

**Review Goal: 305**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	16. Book 1: Chapter 14

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**bloomnskyrules: Thank you! I put that in to make them reconsider their attitudes towards Luna - just because she can see things that they cannot does not mean that they aren't any less real, or that they have any reason to discriminate Luna because of her beliefs. I put that in because the Elixir seems too good to be true, there needs to be some downsides. Nicholas and Perenelle are practically frozen in time, unable to age, and because of that they can't have children. It makes the Elixir seem more realistic, in my opinion. The snippets of pureblood culture are things that I believe would make sense as to why the purebloods are always private and polite to those they tolerate and impolite to those they don't. And as for age of consent, I need Dorea and Bill's relationship to be legal, even though Dorea is emancipated doesn't mean that she's legal to be in a relationship with. Yes, it is a Nevilla/Sierra pairing. You forgot Lily and Molly freaking out and MCGonagall's guilt. Hope I updated soon enough for you!**

**Lady Lead8: Dear lady, of course I was concerned! I consider my regular reviewers as friends of sorts, and wouldn't it be normal for me to be concerned about my friends? I understand why you didn't review, I have an essay due the 28th, an ISU due the tenth, and another ISU due around the same time. I've only started on the essay -_-" I put that in to make the Elixir more realistic, since an Elixir that simply keeps you alive seems far too good to be true. And I tried. *laughs with you* Yeah, you should say Norberta. Not only Molly, but so will Lily. I'm not sure if the Marauders will be angry or proud as of yet...**

**griffindork93: I didn't start writing this chapter until I saw that you had reviewed. I was constantly checking my ipod to see if you had reviewed just to put my mind at ease, my friend se2zno was making fun of me because of that fact. Bill is making excuses because he's kinda scared of how everyone would react if he and Dorea were to start a relationship. He'll probably realize his feelings in between the beginning and the middle of the second book, when he acts upon them is a secret though. I'm thinking about having Charlie do that to make Bill realize his feelings, to be honest... And thank you, and they will be closer. I mean, they've faced how many life or death situations in the canon books? Anyone would be super close after that. Ron's gonna leave for a mixture of reasons, the most prominent one being the Horcrux's influence, the other being that he's mentally panicking over Susan, who he likes at this time. That rant was actually pretty easy to write - I just put myself in Charlie's shoes and the words flowed. I'm a pretty good ranter, thank you very much. Dorea's faith in her father is because she knows that Remus actually has a brain and wouldn't be so loyal to anyone that was as horrible as Snape describes her father. Yes yes, poor George's toes 8) Yeah, she did go with George. I was debating between George or Dean, I guess I ended up with George. I loved writing that part of the story - my personal favourite was Dorea mentioning beer pong. I've never played it before, but I actually really want to. Fleur thinks that her perfection is because she's quarter-Veela and not entirely human. Yeah, you got Fleur's intentions perfectly - she doesn't want Bill and Dorea together, so she's gonna attempt to guilt trip Bill over the fact that Dorea is 10 years younger than him(she's being an idiot, she's only 3 years older than Dorea. If he can love someone 7 years younger than him he can love someone 10 years younger just fine.) and is trying to make either Dorea appear out of Bill's league or make Bill appear out of Dorea's league. Oliver is gonna be more involved, especially in the later books when he wasn't there, and it won't all just be related to Quidditch, though he is still gonna be obsessed with the sport. Blood Wras don't happen nearly as often as Feuds, I'm thinking that the last one was a couple hundred years before this timeline. Yes, Dorea can declare Blood War on the House of Riddle since that's Voldemort's main Family, but she is just going to take the title of Lady Slytherin instead of declaring Blood War on the House of Slytherin, since she is technically the Heiress of Slytherin at the moment. She did declare Blood Feud on the House of Snape, and Snape is a muggle name, so Blood Wars can be declared on muggleborns and those with muggle names. Yes, as are nargles and blibbering humdingers :3 Dorea and Hermione both solve Snape's riddle, if you wanted a hint. His reaction is gonna be priceless, of course.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Dean Thomas at the Gryffindor table raised his hand after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"I, uh, I'll read." he offered. Nicholas levitated the book over to the black boy, who opened it and raised an eyebrow at the chapter.

**~CHAPTER FOURTEEN - NORBERT THE NORWEGIAN RIDGEBACK~** he read. The moment the words left his mouth, Ron and Hermione shot out of their seats and hid behind Hagrid. Dorea attempted to join them, only for Bill to pin her down in his lap. Umbridge looked a the Trio in a malicious glint in her eye, what was this about a dragon? Molly and Lily's eyes narrowed on Charlie, who was shifting around guiltily. McGonagall sat back in her chair, feeling age slip into her bones.

"There really _was_ a dragon?" she gasped, holding her head. Oh Merlin, she had been so angry, she thought that Dorea and Hermione had been lying, she had taken away so many points..._ But surely the other students wouldn't treat Dorea, Hermione, and Nevilla horribly, would they? Because it was only House Points, they really didn't mean anything. **Right**?_

**~Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.~**

Those who were taught by Quirrell that year looked confused. Quirrell was a coward, how was he lasting so long with Snape breathing down his neck?

Dorea, Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore were the only ones out of every person in that Hall that knew why Quirrell had lasted so long. It was because he had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head like the parasite he was.

**~Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Dorea, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.~**

"Smart, checking in a way that isn't too noticeable If a professor passed by you could say you didn't want to break the rules by entering it, but you wanted to see if you could hear what was going in the hall." Moody nodded in a approval, his magical eye glaring at the professors. "You all need to practice CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he bellowed, making most of the Hall jump.

**~Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe.~**

"No, it meant that Quirrell was still after it." Snape growled under his breath, no one hearing him over the small whispers going around. Who was after the Stone? Why were they after it? They wanted answers right now!

**~Whenever Dorea passed Quirrell these days she gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.~**

The Trio grimaced, regretting that they had done that now. _Greedy, evil bastard..._ Molly, on the other hand, beamed at the idea of her son protecting an innocent man. Oh how she would regret that later.

**~Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Philosopher's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colour coding all her notes. Dorea and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.~**

Everyone who had been scolded by Hermione to do just that groaned in sympathy, they knew exactly what Dorea and Ron meant by that. Hermione, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at the groans. She was only trying to help, and Dorea had admitted that the study schedules were helping her this year, what with all the homework they had been getting.

**~"Hermione, the exams are ages away."**

**"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."~**

Lily blushed when James laughed.

"You act just like she did during OWL year! Merlin, I thought Lily was going to go _mad_ by the end of the exams!" he grinned, only to get whacked over the head by Lily. Bill smirked at Dorea, who looked a little confused.

"Looks like you got that from your mother." he teased. Dorea responded by whacking his arm and leaning back into his chest. Bill felt his ears burn a little. _She's 10 years younger than you, it would be **wrong** to think about her like that..._

**~"But we're not six hundred years old,"~**

"Even for myself ten weeks can pass by relatively slowly, depending on what is going on at the time." Nicholas said, remembering the first year that he had drunken the Elixir. Merlin, that year seemed to pass by so slowly... Though he had done quite a bit during that time, most of it helping Da Vinci with his work. Hermione flushed from her seat behind Hagrid. She had just been so anxious for exams was all...

**~Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an A."**

**"What am I _studying_ for? Are you _crazy_? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me "~**

"That's a little excessive..." Remus muttered. Perenelle flushed - she had been like that during her Hogwarts experience, though her schoolwork had been relatively harder. The Ministry had banned so many subjects from being taught outside of Apprenticeships and Families... Magic such as Dark, Light, and Gray magic, White and Gray magic, Blood Magic, Politics, Healing, there had been so many more options 600 years ago.

**~Unfortunately, the professors seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione.~**

"They always do." Dorea sighed. She could just never win, Hermione always shot down her ideas, professors always took the other side, and in the end Dorea does something that wins either praise or hatred. Life and Fate must hate her... She could never catch a break.

**~They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones.~**

"They'll never be." every student said mournfully, comparing the two holidays. Christmas hols were filled with laughter, food, and just full out good times. Easter hols were filled with studying, anxiety, and chocolate. Well, at least Easter had chocolate to equal things out a little.

**~It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practising wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Dorea and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.~**

The slackers are shuddered in horror at the extra work, while the rest of the Hall just cringed. With the amount of work that McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick assigned alone it was difficult to get everything done, not to mention the work the other professors assigned. The NEWTs and OWL students looked terrified at the thought of what they would be facing this year. Dear Merlin, they were _doomed_...

**~"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.~**

"Do it outside, the air helps you calm down and the breeze keeps you focused on your books." Sirius advised remembering the Marauder homework sessions be the lake. Those days by the lake had really helped all of them bring up their marks, there was just something about the lake that encouraged you to do your homework. James snickered.

"You would know that from first-hand experience, wouldn't you, Siri?" he asked.

**~Dorea, who was looking up "Dittany: in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_, didn't look up until she heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"~**

Most of the Hall looked at Hagrid suspiciously. Dorea was once again cursing the books. Hagrid was going to get in trouble, Fudge, Umbitch, and Madam Bones were sitting right there, listening to everything that was going on.

Umbridge held back a snort. _As if that half-breed could read, he could barely even write legibly._

**~Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.~**

Those who were regulars in the library snorted. Yeah, Hagrid would definitely be out of place in the library. Very out of place. Like a muggle lumberjack at a pureblood Yule Ball out of place. Or like Vernon Dursley at a Christian Church.

**~"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice tha got their interest at once.~**

Dorea chuckled as everyone groaned.

"I want to know secrets!" she sang out happily, only to get bonked by Bill.

"Sometimes it's better to leave it alone." he grumbled, hugging Dorea once again. He barely noticed Fleur glaring at the 15 year old. What's got her knickers in a knot?

**~"An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"**

**"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St-"~**

From behind Hagrid, Hermione whacked Ron.

"Honestly, use your brain once in a while!" she huffed, glaring at the redhead. Ron stuck his tongue out.

"I was an innocent firstie, what did you expect?" he asked. Hermione glared at him.

"For you to know better than that!" she hissed.

**~"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"**

**"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Dorea, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -"~**

"DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD!" the Marauders and professors yelled, horrified at the idea of anyone else finding out about the Stone at that period in time. Dorea simply rolled her eyes.

"You're talking to a book." she deadpanned.

**~"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh -"~**

"Hagrid, you sorta did." Hermione muttered. Hagrid blushed and mumbled an apology that Dumbledore waved off.

"You didn't mean to, and the three that did find out would go to any lengths to protect the Stone. No harm done." he admitted. McGonagall looked ashamed, she had been a horrible Head of House so far for her Cubs. Neville was being bullied something horrible, Hermione was able to lie to her face and she didn't suspect anything, and she hadn't believed the Trio when they said someone was after the Stone. Not to mention second year, third year, and fourth year... Merlin, she was a failure as a Head of House and as a professor.

**~"See you later, then," said Dorea.**

**Hagrid shuffled off.**

**"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.**

**"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?" Dorea suggested.**

**"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.~**

Madam Pince leaned back in her chair to glare at Ron for mistreating her precious books.

**~"_Dragons_!"~**

"Hagrid..." McGonagall groaned. So that's where the dragon had come from.

**~he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_; _From Egg to Inferno_, _A Dragon Keeper's Guide_. "~**

Molly glared at Charlie.

"You better not have had anything to do with this." she growled. Michaela rolled her eyes and hugged Charlie.

"If you did, I am _so_ proud of you." she smiled. Charlie grinned and returned the hug, only to pull Michaela into his lap. Michaela caught Dorea's knowing smirk, only to send one back herself. Hey, Dorea _was_ sitting in Bill's lap, after all.

**~"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him, " said Dorea.~**

"Yeah, but he tells that to everyone he meets." Charlie said. Dragons had been a common topic between himself and Hagrid during his time at Hogwarts.

"But it's against the law for wizards to domestically breed dragons, the only ones that can are Elvish Tamer Clans." Michaela said, eyes narrowed. Hagrid didn't attempt to breed a dragon, did he?

**~"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that.~**

"No, not everyone knows that." Katie said, learning this for the first time. Charlie chuckled.

"Looks like Ron did pay attention to my rants about dragons." he muttered. Michaela's grandfather looked at Charlie. He clearly cared for animals just as much as Michaela did, but was he _good enough_ for his granddaughter?

**~It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."~**

Michaela looked down at Charlie's arms and smiled. The burns that he got meant that he cared for the dragons enough to willingly allow them to burn him. Those burns meant not only that he was a kind and caring person, but that he loved the freedom that came with dragon taming. Michaela smiled. Freedom... Such a strange word. She could only wonder what it meant to truly be free...

**~"But there aren't wild dragons in _Britain_?" said Dorea in shock.**

**"Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."~**

Those who had no idea couldn't believe it. Michaela nodded.

"The Tamer Clan in Britain absolutely hates my Clan, mainly because we're better at Taming than they are." she stated.

**~"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.~**

Sierra nodded.

"Excellent question." she said.

**~When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.~**

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. Hagrid had never acted that way before, what was wrong? What had he been hiding from himself?

**~It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.~**

Charlie grinned, knowing exactly what Hagrid was doing in his hut. Michaela seemed to realize it too, because she looked at Hagrid with wide eyes. He _didn't_!

**~"So - yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea. There was no point beating around the bush.~**

Lily shook her head fondly. Dorea took after her father in that way. James beamed in pride, knowing exactly where Dorea had gotten her bluntness from.

**~"We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy."**

**Hagrid frowned at her.~**

James sighed.

"Bambi, you really shouldn't stick our nose in this sort of business. Not that I'm complaining that you're breaking the rules," here Lily hit James upside the head. "But you really should practice some more self control for your curiosity." Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Dad, I was _11_." she deadpanned. James flushed as he remembered that he had been talking to a book, Remus and Sirius howling with laughter.

**~"O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."~**

"Oh, a certain snake pushed us in that direction. No biggie." Hermione sang from behind Hagrid's gigantic coat. Everyone who heard her, except for Snape, chuckled. That certainly explained that question.

**~"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice.~**

"You certainly know how to get Hagrid to talk." Sirius grinned, looking at James. "This one here could get Hagrid to confess almost anything - though we still don't know why he was expelled." Dorea's happy expression darkened as she pulled her lips back in a vicious snarl.

"He was framed for a crime he did not commit." she snarled at no one in particular.

**~Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling.**

**"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."~**

James chuckled.

"You'll definitely get him talking now. Flattery works wonders on him." Remus said, knowing exactly what James was thinking. Even though they hadn't been the Marauders for 14 years, they were still close.

**~Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Dorea and Ron beamed at Hermione.~**

Ron did the same once again, proud that Hermione could think on her feet the way she could.

**~"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that let's see he borrowed Fluffy from me then some o' the teachers did enchantments Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall -" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."**

**"Snape?"**

**"Yeah - yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."~**

"Ah, but that also means that he could have had the chance to test the other defences after Fluffy while putting them in." Remus included. Dumbledore paled and sank back into his seat. So that's how Quirrell got through the test so quickly, he had tested the protections when he put his troll in there.

**~Dorea knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as she was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it.~**

Moody nodded in approval.

"You'd make a damn good Auror, Potter. Probably a Hit-Witch, even." he said. Dorea looked interested. Being a Hit-Witch, hunting down dangerous criminals for the Ministry, it sounded like something she would do. But then again, being an Auror sounded good... Same with an Unspeakable... And playing Quidditch professionally... Not to mention being a Curse Breaker... There were just so many open doors for her, she didn't know what to pick!

**~He probably knew everything - except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.~**

"Just Fluffy." the Trio muttered as one. Hagrid paled. And with what he had told that stranger...

**~"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" said Dorea anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"**

**"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.~**

Hagrid winced. He failed in that aspect. He had failed horribly.

**~"Well, that's something," Dorea muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."**

**"Can't, Dorea, sorry," said Hagrid. Dorea noticed him glance at the fire. Dorea looked at it, too.**

**"Hagrid - what's that?"**

**But she already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.~**

Michaela and her grandparents looked at Hagrid in shock.

"You didn't." her grandfather stated in a mixture of shock and horror. Hagrid shifted.

"I had teh. The egg was gettin' cold when I got it, I knew I had to hatch it or it would die." he said. Charlie nodded vigorously. In that case, everything that Hagrid had done was completely legal, except for maybe how he got it. He hatched it and raised Norberta until she was old enough to be transported to a reserve. Since the egg was starting to cool, Hagrid had no choice in the matter if he wanted Norberta to live. The Ministry wouldn't be able to touch him on this fact. Michaela sighed in relief.

"Thank Oria for that then, thats the only time doing that domestically is legal." she said, leaning her head on Charlie's shoulder. Hagrid can't get in trouble for this then.

**~"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's - er..."**

**"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."**

**"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was wuite glad to get rid of it, ter be honest."~**

"He could've sold it for thousand of galleons, but he probably stole it from the British Tamer Clan. They're known for being quite... _Cruel_ when it comes to thieves." Michaela said. Dorea grimaced. Quirrell had been happy to get rid of it for a different reason. A _very_ different reason. Though he probably did steal it from them.

**~"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.**

**"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library - Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit - it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognize diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."~**

"He's right about that, the British Tamer Clan is the only other Clan to have Norwegian Ridgebacks in their care. The Romanian Reserve has one, I believe." Michaela stated. Charlie nodded.

"Norberta's real vicious, though. Gave me have the scar I have on her own." he put in. Hagrid looked shocked.

"Wha- Norbert's a _girl_? How can yeh tell?" he asked. Charlie chuckled.

"They're eyes are more red and they're more vicious." he answered, waving at Dean to continue reading.

**~He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.**

**"Hagrid, you live in a _wooden_ _house_," she said slowly.~**

"Well, she's got a point there." Dante said. Remus looked at him in shock.

"There are school children that visit him daily." he said. "Dragons can get very nasty if you don't know what you're doing."

The TriWizard Champions nodded in agreement, remembering the first task. Bill could see Dorea flying around the Horntail before his eyes, her hair flying out behind her, the way she just seemed to be one with the wind as she flew... Bill blushed a little and refused to look at Dorea. _Merlin, was he really...?_

**~But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.**

**So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.~**

"He would go to Azkaban." Umbridge sang maliciously. Amelia glared at the woman.

"Considering the circumstances in which he came upon the egg, his hatching it was completely legal. As long as he gets the dragon to a reserve before it is fully grown he will not be touched." she hissed. Umbridge scowled, remembering that this woman was the head of the DMLE, and therefore knew the laws better than the Minister. If Amelia said that the half-breed oaf couldn't be touched, then he couldn't be touched.

**~"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed,~**

"Don't we all." Dorea sighed. "I'll never have a peaceful life. I just wish I knew why." Lily and James looked at each other then glared at Dumbledore. So Dorea didn't know about the prophecy? Why not?

**~as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Dorea and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.~**

Sirius nodded in understanding. Remus drove him absolutely nuts during their OWLs year. Merlin, the studying... I paid off in the end, though. Sirius got either an O or E in all his exams, getting the highest mark in history for the History of Magic examination.

**~Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Dorea another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: _It's hatching._~**

Michaela, Charlie, and Michaela's grandparents sighed happily. Witnessing a dragon hatching was one of the most beautiful thing they could think of, other than a newborn infant.

**~Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.~**

McGonagall and Sproud nodded in approval. Just because a dragon egg was hatching did not mean that they had any reason to skip classes!

**~"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Ron asked. Hermione glared icily at him.~**

"Excellent point there, Ron." Arthur said, only to get glared at by Molly. James and Lily were bouncing around in their seats, they had never seen a dragon hatching! They wanted to hear about it so badly.

**~"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing -"~**

"Only one person found out, but we got in trouble anyway." Hermione muttered, remembering how they had been ostracized after helping Hagrid get Norbert to Romania.

**~"Shut up!" Dorea whispered.**

**Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Dorea didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.~**

"When do you ever?" Bill asked. Dorea grinned.

"When he's staring at Hermione in shock after she's punched him." she remarked. Bill couldn't help but grin and laugh at that, that would be a face he wouldn't mind looking at on a Malfoy. His face after a muggleborn punches him... That would be very interesting to see. Very interesting, as a matter of fact.

**~Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology~**

That's normal though." Seamus said, Dean nodding in agreement. Those two were always fighting over one thing or another, it had gotten to the point where people were taking bets on who was winning.

**~and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other two during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest.~**

Professor Sprout chuckled, now understanding why the Trio wanted to leave so badly. She thought that Dorea had gotten something that she wanted them to see.

**~Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.**

**"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.**

**The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.**

**They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.~**

"Don't get too close, just stay a foot back in the least." Michaela's grandmother advised.

**~All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Dorea thought, it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange-red eyes.~**

Michaela, Charlie, and Michaela's grandparents all sighed in content. She sounded absolutely gorgeous...

**~It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.**

**"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.**

**"Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.~**

"Hagrid, Norberta's a girl." Charlie repeated. Hagrid shrugged.

"Well I didn't know that then."

**~"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"~**

"Extremely fast. They're adults within the first month that they're born." Michaela said, grimacing a little. Laws be damned, if she had been at Hogwarts she would've gotten that dragon out of there as soon as possible.

**~Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face - he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.**

**"What's the matter?" Dorea asked, confused at the sudden change in behavior.**

**"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."**

**Dorea bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him. A head of white-blond hair was running back up to the castle.**

**Malfoy had seen the dragon.~**

"Of _course _he had." Fred sighed, depressed. He just wanted to find out why Dorea had gotten so many points taken away now, he had never found out and he needed to know before he could ask for Dorea's forgiveness. Before he could ask for his little sister's forgiveness.

**~Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Dorea, Ron, and Hermione very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.~**

The professors sighed.

"Had you just told Dumbledore all of this could have been avoided." McGonagall sighed. She really had overreacted when she took away so many points from Gryffindor. It's clear that Dorea and Hermione had only been helping Hagrid, and Neville was trying to keep the two girls out of trouble...

**~"Just let him go," Dorea urged. "Set him free."~**

"She's too young! If she's on her own it'll kill her, she can't hunt yet!" Michaela insisted, flapping her arms around wildly.

**~"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."~**

"EXACTLY!" Michaela dn Charlie both shouted.

**~They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his game keeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.~**

Michaela sighed in content. Hagrid definately knew how to take care of a dragon.

**~"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"~**

The dragon tamers all raised an eyebrow. That wasn't so normal.

**~"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Dorea's ear.~**

Michaela's grandparents nodded in agreement, though Michaela rolled her eyes at them. They were so old fashioned it wasn't even funny.

**~"Hagrid," said Dorea loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."**

**Hagrid bit his lip.**

**"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."**

**Dorea suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie." he said.~**

Michaela grinned.

"Dorea, you genius!" she shouted as Molly glared at her son. So that's how he got involved in this. She couldn't bring herself to be angry at Dorea, since the girl was only attempting to help a friend. She was conveniently forgetting that Charlie was also attempting to help that same friend.

**~"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"~**

Chuckles sounded through the Hall.

**~"No - Charlie - your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"**

**"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"**

**And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.~**

Michaela grinned at Dorea, who was currently being hugged to death by a very proud Bill. Dorea was a pure genius to think that this!

**~The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Hermione and Dorea sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Dorea's's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.**

**"It _bit_ me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief.~**

Michaela and Charlie both groaned.

"It's venomous, you idiot!" Michaela said, holding her head as though in pain. Charlie, on the other hand, was completely holding his head in his hands. His baby brother had been bitten by a Norwegian Ridgeback. Ron had been bitten by Norberta.

**~"I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."~**

Michaela and Charlie chuckled. Well, this was Hagrid they were talking about. He raised XXXXX creatures like they were puppies or kittens. Fluffy puppies or kittens.

**~There was a tap on the dark window.**

**"It's Hedwig!" said Dorea, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"~**

Hediwg hooted with pride as Charlie smiled at the owl.

"Hedwig, you are the strongest owl I have ever met." he cooed, causing Hediwg to puff out her chest in pride. Dorea shook her head fondly. Her owl was truly one of a kind.

**~The three of them put their heads together to read the note.**

_**Dear Ron,**_

_**How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.**_

**_Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._~**

"Excellent plan." James said, nodding. Truly brilliant.

McGonagall sunk down in her seat. Merlin, if only she had let them explain themselves... She felt absolutely horrible over what happened.

**~_Send me an answer as soon as possible._**

_**Love,**_

_**Charlie**_

**They looked at one another.**

**"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Dorea. "It shouldn't be too difficult I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."~**

"Only because you were so tiny." Hermione shouted, making Dorea glare.

"You weren't much bigger than I was!" she huffed. Bill chuckled and snuggled up to Dorea.

"You're the perfect size to hug, though!" he practically squealed, holding Dorea close to him. He could feel her burning blush against her skin, and his smile widened. _Maybe she **did** like him..._

Dean shook his head at the two and continued reading. They were idiots if they didn't realize that everyone could see ust how much they loved each other.

**~It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.**

**But there was a hitch.**

**By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey - would she recognize a dragon bite?~**

Madam Pomfrey started grumbling. No, she didn't recognize a dragon bite, especially not a dragon hatchling bite.

**~By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.~**

"You didn't know that before?" Smith sneered. Ron rolled his eyes and peered out from behind Hagrid.

"Considering that there aren't many books on the different breeds of dragons in the library, no, we didn't." he growled back. Smith glared and looked away, knowing he had lost that point.

**~Dorea and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.**

**"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "Although it does feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me -~**

"Of course I didn't do you think I'm an idiot?" she asked. Ron flushed.

"We just didn't want to get Hagrid in trouble... If we told you what really bit me we didn't know what would happen to him..." he murmured.

**~I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."~**

Malfoy snorted. He would have done it anyway.

**~Dorea and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.**

**"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.**

**"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no - I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."~**

Charlie began cursing, only for Molly to silence him.

"Charlie, watch your mouth!" she ordered. Michaela hugged Charlie and grinned at him.

"Having a potty mouth is alright, he was just saying what everyone was thinking." she cooed. Charlie's face burned as red as his hair and Michaela smirked. Well, it looks like Charlie liked her back, even if he didn't realize it yet.

**~Dorea and Hermione didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.**

**"It's too late to change the plan now," Dorea told Hermione earnestly. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."~**

"I know about it now though." said boy grumbled, angry that he had gotten in just as much trouble as the three Gryffindors for simply being honest with McGonagall.

**~The found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail.~**

"Poor baby..." Sierra and Michaela muttered. While Sierra was a dog person, her mother having an idiot of a red lab at home, Michaela was purely an animal person. Hagrid nodded solemnly.

"Fang got hit with Norbert-Noberta's tail." he said. Michaela awed sadly, resting her head in Charlie's shoulder. Poor Fang...

**~when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a windor to talk to them.**

**"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage - nothin' I can't handle."~**

Michaela's grandmother raised an eyebrow.

"You're half giant, aren't you?" she asked. Hagrid looked around wildly. "The fact that you are able to raised class XXXXX beasts without much worry as to whether they will harm you, as well as you size, means that you aren't entirely human. You don't appear to be half troll, so the only thing I could think of is that you have giant blood running through your veins." she said, pushing a lock of white-blonde hair behind one of her sharply pointed ears. She smiled at him. "I am a High Elf, my name is Galandriel. My husband, Elront, and I are the Elders of our Clan. If we could not spot a person with creature blood running through their veins we would be quite pathetic Elders, indeed." Sally-Anne looked at the Elder High Elves with interest.

"Your names are similar to Galadriel and Elrond from Lord of the Rings, any connection?" she asked. Galandriel chuckled.

"TRR Tolkien based King Elrond and Queen Galadriel off the two of us, though it was mainly off of our names and appearances." she said. Sally-Anne nodded, content with that answer. The misfits didn't seem surprised in the slightest, seeing as they had already known about this.

**~When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.~**

Elront shook his head sadly. Hagrid would be an amazing dragon tamer, had he not been expelled. His was so immune to many of the dangers that humans faced... He eyed Michaela and Charlie Weasley warily. He was a dragon tamer, as his scars all but screamed, but would he be enough to repair his granddaughter's broken heart?

**~"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot jus' playin' he's only a baby, after all."**

**The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Dorea and Hermione walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.~**

"It could have come a little slower." Dorea muttered, looking at her knees, a blush still on her face. Bill was still snuggling up to her.

**~They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall.~**

Peeves cackled, tennis was fun. He was glad that Jessica Smith, a muggleborn that graduated in 1982, had taught him about muggle sports.

**~Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.**

**"He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."~**

Lavender was snickering with Parvati under her breath about something. Dorea turned and glared at the two.

"If you've got something to say about my friends, don't whisper it, say it so I can hear it!" she spat. Lavender froze for a moment before smirking.

"I was just saying that he's worse than Dumbledore and Looney Lovegood combined." she snickered. Dorea's eyes flashed angrily as she cast an unknown spell at Lavender, changing her pretty blonde curls into hair resembling a cross between Hagrid's and Dumbledore's hair. She shrieked and ran from the Hall, tears filling her eyes. Sirius couldn't help but snicker.

"Nightmare Hair Curse from the Marauder's Handbook?" he asked. Dorea smirked and grinned before looking back at the students in the Hall.

"Insult my friends and the people I respect and you will pay the consequences. She did worse - she insulted two of my most trusted friends and a man I see as my grandfather." she hissed, eyes flashing between emerald green and Killing Curse green. Bill shook his head and yanked her back down into his lap, proud of the tiny 15 year old. Luna smiled at Dorea, glad that she had a friend she could trust. Hagrid beamed at the girl, proud to have the last Potter as such an amazing friend. Dumbledore smiled at Dorea, glad that Dorea saw him as her grandfather, seeing as how he saw her as his granddaughter. Dean waited until the snickers quieted down before he continued reading.

**~From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Dorea as though the teddy was having his head torn off.~**

James sniffled.

"Poor teddy..." he muttered. Michaela shrugged.

"It probably gave Norberta something to play with during the flight back to the Romanian reserve." she said, Charlie nodding silently in agreement. They at the reserve had been very amused when they opened her crate and saw all the teddy stuffing everywhere.

**~"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mummy will never forget you!"~**

Remus leaned over the James.

"Hagrid _does_ realize that he would be Norbert's papa, right?" he asked. James shrugged, if there was one thing he learned about Hagrid, and that was don't question him when it involves dangerous creatures.

**~How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another - even one of Dorea many's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.~**

James grinned at Dorea with pride.

"You know short cuts!" he shouted. Dorea smiled.

"The portraits and suits of armour point them out to me." she said simply. James blinked in surprise. The portraits and suits of armour never did that for him... So why did they do that for Dorea?

**~"Nearly there!" Dorea panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.**

**Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate.**

**Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.**

**Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear.~**

Arthur started cheering as the Hall laughed at Malfoy.

**~"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin!~**

Dorea huffed there. Slytherin only lost 20 points for being out of bed after hours. Gryfindor lost 150. Talk about unfair.

**~Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you -"**

**"You don't understand, Professor. Dorea Potter's coming - and she's got a dragon!"**

**"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"~**

"Mister Malfoy, I apologize for what said to you." McGonagall apologized. Malfoy had been telling the truth... "Although the story was extremely unbelievable."

**~The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.~**

Dorea grinned, stood up, and did exactly what Hermione did, although she included a bit of a butt wiggle. The Hall burst into laughter, several of the students laughing silently and clapping, looking like seals.

Once things calmed down Dean continued to read.

**~"Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"**

**"Don't," Dorea advised her. "We'll be heard."**

**Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.**

**Charlie's friends were a cheery lot.~**

"That they are." Charlie, who had been unsilenced by Bill, chirped. They had been even happier because they were getting a Norwegian Ridgeback for the reserve. Molly rolled her eyes, she didn't like Charlie's friends. Tattooed, body piercings, they had some of the most unattractive ideals. Arthur smiled. He liked Charlie's friends, they were a lively bunch.

**~They showed Dorea and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Dorea and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.**

**At last, Norbert was going going gone.~**

Cheers sounded through the Hall, though Hagrid's foghorn-like noise that came from blowing his nose was still audible.

It took a few minutes, but Dean was able to read the last bit while grimacing.

**~They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon - Malfoy in detention - what could possibly spoil their happiness?~**

Sirius winced.

"You forgot the cloak, didn't you?" he asked. Dorea nodded solemnly. The eyes of everyone in their fifth year and up widened. _That's_ why Dorea and her friends got in trouble? Because they were simply caught out of bed after hours?

**~The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.**

**"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we _are_ in trouble."~**

James glared at Filch at this moment. How the hell did he know where his daughter was that night? No one went into the Astronomy Tower after hours.

**~They'd left the invisibilty cloak on top of the tower.~**

James' glare intensified as Filch looked smug.

"I didn't know it was common practice for you to take the word of a student that's been breaking the rules." he spat. Filch flushed while McGonagall glared at him.

"I told you specifically to not listen to a word Mister Malfoy had said! You're telling me that you _intentionally_ went against what I said?" she growled. Filch began stumbling and Dumbledore sighed.

"Argus, when myself or Minerva tells you specifically something, you listen to it, no matter if it will catch another student in trouble or not." he explained. Filch glared at Dumbledore but nodded, mumbling something to Mrs. Norris, who was glaring at Dorea with wide, lantern like eyes. Dean slowly closed the book and looked at McGonagall.

"Professor, would you like to read next?" he asked and the doors to the Great Hall opened once again, but it wasn't Lavender coming back from where ever she had run off to.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 9,710**

**Much shorter than I'd like it to be, but the chapters in canon aren't that long either. I apologize for any missed 'Harry' corrections and any spelling mistakes. I tried to post this as soon as possible, but I still have an essay to work on and it takes a bit of time to split my work time o which to do. Expect the next chapter to be posted either on Wednesday or after, since Wednesday is when my essay is due. **

**Review Count: 307**

**SWEET MOTHER OF JESUS! YOU GUYS ALL ROCK! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Review Goal: 330**


	17. Book 1: Chapter 15

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY! THE ESSAY'S DUE DATE WAS PUSHED BACK TO FRIDAY! *does happy dance* THAT MEANS MORE TIME TO WORK ON THIS WITHOUT STRESSING OVER NOT HAVING THAT DONE!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Well, you were my first regular reviewer, so I sorta had a panic attack that you wouldn't be able to review that chapter if I got the latest one up really fast, so I couldn't make myself start writing until you reviewed ^/^ Well, I imagine that Neville and Dorea are usually really quiet in class, and for Hermione they would just assume that she was ashamed because she had lost so many points for Gyffindor that she didn't want to talk in class so as to not attract attention to herself. If there was someone else who lost a massive amount of points in one go like those three did, then the professors would have written off the octracizion as a one time thing. McGonagall is seriously regretting taking off so many points, and here she'll explain that it was a heat of the moment thing, but her damn pride wouldn't let her undo part of her punishment. She believes that the students know that the House Point system is a way of teaching consequences, and that it really isn't something to be competed over so badly. She, and all the other professors, think that at least one student would be mature enough to explain what the Point System means to the younger students so as to prevent something like what happened to Dorea from happening. Well, more people will be getting suspicious - the professors already know, Remus and Moody figured it out a while ago, Lily, James and Bill know who's after the Stone, but the other students didn't have experience in this sort of stuff or hear what Dorea was saying to figure out who was after the Stone. But yeah, nobody's put two and two together yet. It's to show how ignorant the people of the wizarding world can be. McGonagall's pity is a mixture of her being hard on herself and that I don't think that she's the best Head of House. A good Head of House would have been able to tell which of the students in her House are being bullied. I saved Hagrid from trouble because I simply like his character - he's like a more mature Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Lily and James will tell Dorea about the prophecy before the fifth book, but after she learns Occlumency. They don't want to risk someone going into her mind and finding it without Dorea even knowing. As for Michaela's past, it'll come in after she and Charlie get together. What do you think happened to her? I'm genuinely interested, this way I can tell you about whether or not you're close to what I'm planning or not. Yep, Filch is in trouble~! You'll honestly be surprised as to who I'm having walk through those doors - here's a hint, Umbridge is gonna be mega pissed.**

**MistBlade8: How cute! You'll find out this chapter! Moody only scares people because they aren't paying attention to their surroundings - I have a teacher like that when I was 11. We would all be quite and doing our work in class when he would slam something closed and make everyone jump. Now that I think about it, he did throw a stapler at my friend's head once too... Filch will be punished for threatening students with corporal punishment, it's been banned from Hogwarts for a reason. Yes, you've been using also too much. I think that McGonagall overreacted out of anger when she took 150 points from Gryffindor. As for that... It'll probably come in around the end of the fourth book, maybe the beginning of the fifth. Later, amigo!**

**Lady Leaf8: Why thank you! Heh, I had that planned once I brought in Michaela's grandparents. Honestly, the parts about the Tamer Clans(they don't just tame dragons, they tame all sorts of creatures, I'm thinking about mentioning a Nundu cub that Michaela raised). It's gonna be a while before I do that, I'm generally gonna focus on one family/species at a time. Really? You think this is one of the best and most different stories that you've read? Dear lady, that is a serious compliment for me! *winces* And I thought I had a lot of work... Thing is, the subject of our essay? We weren't even supposed to read the book that it's on! And that's what's pissing me off about the whole essay! Don't worry about unloading your baggage, I totally understand it. I've unloaded my baggage on my mom so many times since we got the essay I've lost count. Getting good grades is gonna be easy, I get A's without even trying. It's fairly simple, I just remember what was being said in class.**

**bloomnskyrules: Oh, did I forget to mention that? Lily unstuck them when Dorea started to cry. Yes, Bill is finally starting to catch on! But it's still gonna be a while before they get together, simply because Bill wants to make sure that Dorea likes him before they get together. I have the cutest scene planned for it though! I'm not gonna spoil it... It'll probably happen after the Halloween/Samhain Interlude. For the Holiday Interlude it's probably gonna end up being a separate interlude while the actual interlude entrance of the books will be different. Molly gets on my nerves as well, even in canon. She wants to have control over her children and not let them grow up, she wants to be needed by them for as long as they lived. She thinks she still has a say because Charlie is still her son. I can't wait for that either, Lily and James are gonna take Sirius' side and then tell Molly and Dumbledore that they've already told Dorea about the 'weapon'(aka Prophecy). Well, I love Lord of the Rings, so I wanted to include it a little bit. I had the idea once I pictured Michaela's grandmother, an Elder Elf would be similar to an Elf Queen, don't you think?**

**vanillacookies99: Oh wow, thanks for that praise! *blushing* Hmmm... I'll probably include that song in the interlude, I'm planning on a karaoke night anyway. Dorea would most definitely be singing it, especially after Sierra points out that Fleur is after Bill. *evil smirk* Oh, and I know just what song Bill is gonna sing, too... Such a cute song... So sweet...**

**~O~O~O~**

Umbridge scowled as she saw the guests. Sutpid, filthy half-breeds...

The students, however, stared at the tribe in shock. Centaurs. Those strangers had managed to bring the centaur tribe into the castle to read the stories. The largest centaur, a muscular and tanned man with a black stallion lower body and long black hair pulled into a braid, trotted up to Dumbledore, a snow white letter in hand. He neared the elderly wizard and held his fist over his heart.

"Merry meet, elder wizard." he greeted, handing the letter to Dumbledore. "The time-travelers requested that I give this to you to explain what their wishes involving us are." he said. Dumbledore blinked in shock. Time travelers? Those three were from either the future or the past? Most likely the future, as they knew Dorea's life story already... The centaur nodded at Dumbledore once, then turned and looked directly at Dorea. He trotted over to her and once again clasped his fist over his heart, this time bowing his head as well. Dorea blinked in shock.

"Wh-?" Bill started when the centaur cut him off.

"Greatest greetings Blessed One. I am Erador, leader of our tribe." he greeted People began to stare at Dorea in shock at the greetings she received from the centaur. Simply a 'Merry meet' from a centaur was rare, but a 'Greatest greetings'? That almost never happened. Dorea glared at the ground and grabbed her right forearm, covering the scar from the graveyard.

"What happened to me in June was _not_ a blessing." she ground out. Erador smiled knowingly, and placed his hand upon Dorea's head.

"You do not yet realize how you have been blessed. Only the purest of hearts and souls could have gone through what you have and walked away without the curse that is set upon the Dark Lord." he said, then looked at the sky. "Pluto and Mars have been aligned since June. Venus has been hovering around the two as well." he looked back at Dorea. "I trust you can figure out what this means, Blessed One." he said cryptically and walked back to his tribe. Dorea looked over and smiled at a very familiar face.

"Hello again, Firenze." she said happily. The palest of the centaur looked over at Dorea and smiled as well.

"Greatest greetings, Blessed One. I must admit, our meeting place this time is much better than the last one." he said. Bill looked curiously at Dorea.

"Sweety," he began slowly. "How do you know a centaur by name?" he asked. Dorea blinked and smirked.

"It's in this chapter." she teased. Bill scowled and began to tickle Dorea. Firenze smiled at the sight of the two humans, the elder one clearly cared deeply for the Blessed One, and the Blessed One was obviously deeply in love with the elder one. Frienze fought back a grin.

"Blessed One, is he your beau?" he asked innocently. Several centaurs held back chuckles at the looks on Dorea and Bill's faces. Dorea appeared like a deer caught in headlights, while Bill looked completely caught off guard and shocked. Lily and James exchanged knowing looks. Even a centaur could tell that they liked each other from one glance! With add in the fact that they were Soul Mates and they were meant to be together! People began to snicker at the two, Ron's being the loudest as he moved back to his seat in between Susan and Michaela. Molly shook her head. Even Ron, the most oblivious of her children, could tell that Dorea and Bill liked each other! Dorea was the first to recover.

"No, Bill isn't my beau. I don't have a beau." she huffed, leaning back on Bill's chest. Firenze raised an eyebrow.

"Could have fooled me." he whispered to a female centaur with chestnut brown hair next to him. The female centaur giggled and Bane glared at Firenze. Was he flirting with the mare he was attempting to woo?

Dean cleared his throat.

"Again, Professor, would you like to read?" he asked. McGonagall nodded slowly, still registering what had happened in the last chapter. There had actually been a dragon... Dean levitated the book over the centaur tribe, which was residing in a section of what appeared to be bowled roots in between the Staff table and the Gryffindor table, and dropped it in McGonagall's lap. She opened it and turned to the next chapter in the book, one of the last chapter in the book.

**~CHAPTER FIFTEEN - THE FORBIDDEN FOREST~** she and paled. The _what_? _That's_ what the four first years served their detention as? Perhaps she should have listened to Hagrid when he requested students to help him for their detention...

**~Things couldn't have been worse.~**

"Don't say that! Don't ever say that! Things could be a lot worse!" Ron groaned. Dorea raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" she inquired. Ron glared at her.

"You could've died. Multiple times." he said. Bill, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Molly, and Arthur looked at Ron sharply.

"_What_?" they demanded. Dorea groaned as her parents started hugging Dorea again, making Bill hold her tighter.

"You could've died too!" she said. Ron paled as he saw Molly's frantic face. He turned to glare at Dorea.

"You did that on purpose." he accused. Dorea snorted.

"So did you, bro. So did you."

**~Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling.~**

George wrapped an arm around Hermione and hugged her comfortingly. McGonagall looked down at her lap. And she had done nothing to help ease her Cubs' nerves.

**~Excuses, alibis, and wild cover- up stories chased each other around Dorea's brain, each more feeble than the last. She couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time.~**

"We didn't." Hermione groaned. The Chasers exchanged glances - _this_ was why those three lost so many points? Because they were out after hours in an out-of-bounds area? How could so many points be taken for such a stupid thing?

**~They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak?~**

"How could we have been?" Dorea groaned. Nick moved to place a hand on Dorea's shoulder but held back, remembering how Dorea felt when he touched her. He settled for a small smile.

"That one mistake had caused so much pain, didn't it?" he asked kindly. Dorea, Neville, and Hermione all nodded, remembering their treatment until the end of the year. It have been absolutely dreadful, especially how Lavender treated Dorea...

**~There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the invisibility cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already.~**

"It really was a good thing she never found out about those until now." Flitwick nodded, making McGonagall feel even worse. Did everyone see her as someone who would expel her students for doing something like that? Was that how she came off?

**~Had Dorea thought that things couldn't have been worse? She was horribly wrong.~**

James winced.

"Who else?" he asked. McGonagall was currently hiding behind the book.

**~When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.~**

Lily and Remus winced. Poor Neville, being dragged into something he hadn't been involved in.

**~"Dorea!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-"~**

"How sweet," Molly cooed. "You got in trouble trying to warn your friends that someone else was trying to get them in trouble." Ron and the Twins exchanged equally upset glances. If that was either of them instead of Neville, they would have their ears ringing for the rest of the night. Talk about unfair treatment. Complete favouritism towards everyone that wasn't her own child.

**~Dorea shook her head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen it. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.~**

McGonagall's face was bright red as the Weasley hair while Flitwick slowly shook his head in shame.

"You really should attempt to keep your anger in check, I believe it's a Gryffindor trait that anger leads to rash decisions." he said, subliminally telling everyone that McGonagall hadn't been thinking when she punished those three.

**~"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It is one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."~**

"Well, you see, professor, Hagrid won a stolen dragon egg off the man that was after the Philosopher's Stone, and since the egg was nearly dead, he knew he had to hatch it. Once it hatched, however, we knew Malfoy would tell someone that Hagrid was domestically raising and dragon and since it's Malfoy against Hagrid, which we all saw in third year, Hagrid would have lost simply because of Lucius Malfoy's, ah, _connections_, and would have been sent to Azkaban. Since I didn't want to see my friend arrested, we arranged with Charlie Weasley to have some dragon handlers from his reserve come and pick up Norberta at midnight. We had just been heading off to bed when Filch caught us." Dorea said cheekily. Dumbledore chuckled and smiled at Dorea, eyes twinkling.

"That most certainly is a lively story." Dumbledore said. Everyone else was frozen. _**"Hagrid won a stolen dragon egg off the man that was after the Philosopher's Stone,"**_ Dorea had said. Meaning that Dorea knew who was really after the Stone? But who? Moody grunted and Remus sat back. It was obvious it was Quirrell, he had only been there the day Gringotts was broken into. He was one of the protectors of the Stone. He was also the only one other than Snape that was suspicious. It _had_ to be Quirrell.

**~It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue.~**

Hermione shuddered, still as a statue. Petrification was so similar to being a statue...

**~"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"~**

Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"I WOULD _NEVER_ DO THAT TO A FRIEND!" she bellowed. "THAT'S TRAITOR WORK!" Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"You really shouldn't have thought she would do something like that, Minerva. Even the centaurs know Dorea enough to know that she would never do that." Dumbledore muttered. McGonagall flushed - she had just been so angry, so disappointed at the thought that Dorea would end up just like her father was at her age, that she completely forgot about the fact that Dorea had proven to be exactly like her mother at 11 years old, and was more likely to be doing that to help a friend rather than hurt someone.

**~Dorea caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true, because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville - Dorea knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.~**

Neville laughed at the description.

"Yeah, just about." he grinned. Dorea smiled in relief, so Neville didn't blame them for himself getting in trouble. That was good to know.

**~"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before!~**

"BULL SHIT! _BULL_! _SHIT_!" the Marauders shouted at McGonagall. She flushed angrily.

"I couldn't very well say 'since your father was in school', now could I?" she demanded. James and Sirius relented, but Remus did not.

"So you decide to lie through your teeth instead! I have never been more disappointed in in, Minnie!" he growled. McGonagall looked down at the book, upset over this. And things would just keep getting worse as the chapter goes on...

**~You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Ms. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this.~**

"That's below the belt." Dan ground out, glaring at McGonagall. The respect that he had built up for her was dwindling down now.

**~All three of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."~**

"BUT YOU ONLY TOOK 20 FROM SLYTHERIN!" the Prewett Twins roared, outraged at the unfairness of it all. Fred and George looked at McGonagall, hurt beyond belief.

"We were angry at those three because we thought they had been caught doing something borderline _illegal_, but you took the points away for something so _trivial_?" George whispered, tears flooding his eyes.

"If it was Ron instead of Dorea, would they have only lost 20 points each?" Fred whispered hoarsely. McGonagall momentarily turned deaf upon hearing that, because she knew the answer. Yes, yes they would have. All the Gryffindors in the circle that turned against Dorea looked at her, very near tears.

"We're - _so_ - hic - _sorry_..." Katie whispered, hiccuping as she started to wipe away overflowing tears. Dorea smiled sadly at her Housemates.

"I never held it against you. Any of you." she whispered back. At that, everyone that knew what she was talking about burst into uncontrollable sobs. Firenze and Erador smiled at Dorea, _this_ was why she hadn't been cursed by the unicorn blood. This was why it had blessed her instead. Dorea had the purest heart that either of them had ever seen before, she was the closest thing that they could describe as angelic.

**~"_Fifty_?" Dorea gasped - they would lose the lead, the lead she'd won in the last Quidditch match.**

**"Fifty points _each_," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.~**

All of the professors looked at McGonagall.

"The Marauders, Prewett Twins, and the Weasley Twins have all done much worse, and never, not even combined, have they lost that many points in one go." Sprout said slowly. McGonagall hid her face entirely behind the book, hoping that none of her colleagues would notice that tears that were beginning to fall.

**~"Professor - please -"**

**"You can't -"**

**"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."~**

"So you're telling me you're more ashamed of me being out of bed than you were of the man that betrayed my parents." Dorea said slowly, tears stinging her eyes. Bill held Dorea close to him and glared icily at McGonagall. If those three were mistreated by Gryffindor because of this, he would never be able to forgive McGonagall.

McGonagall, on the other hand, slowly gave the book to Sprout. Everyone was able to see how distraught she really was from the tears falling freely down her face, from her shoulders shaking violently. She slowly placed her head on the table, praying that no one would hate her. She was regretting this moment so much, and if those three were mistreated - but no one noticed it if they were - Merlin, it was _all_ her fault!

**~A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup. Dorea felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. How could they ever make up for this?~**

"By killing Quirrell and preventing Voldemort from coming back three years earlier." Dorea murmured bitterly. Bill froze - he had heard '_killing_' and '_Voldemort_', but that was about it. What had happened at the end of the school year?

**~Dorea didn't sleep all night. He could hear Hermione sobbing into her pillow for what seemed like hours. Dorea couldn't think of anything to say to comfort her. She knew Hermione, like herself, was dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what they'd done?~**

"No one told us why you had lost those points, we were so angry that -" Dean was cut off by Dorea.

"- That you forgot that I'm human as well, not just a Lockhart." she finished. A few people snorted at the comparison, but it was true. They had thought that Dorea had gotten caught because she was so confident that she wouldn't get in trouble because she was famous.

**~At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Dorea Potter, the famous Dorea Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, her and a couple of other stupid first years.~**

Hermione, Neville, and Dorea winced quickly visibly,causing everyone in their fifth year and up to start mumbling apologies. The professors looked horrified. What had happened that had caused all these people to feel the need to apologize for their actions?

The House Ghosts looked absolutely furious. Peeves was flying around, glaring at everyone that was mumbling apologies. Myrtle began moaning about cruelty. All of them remembered how Dorea looked so beaten, so broken in the corner of that classroom, and it was all because of the bloody House Cup.

**~From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Dorea was suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on her, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Dorea went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted her. Dorea was very near breaking down because of this, it was so similar to her treatment at the Dursleys, the only difference being that there wasn't Dudley's gang to beat her up daily.~**

"All because she lost 150 House Points." Bill muttered, shaking in rage. "ALL BECAUSE SHE LOST 150 HOUSE POINTS?" he roared. He handed the now sobbing Dorea to James, who looked equally as enraged as Bill. "Are all of you idiots? Snape takes away more than 200 points per year, and yet when someone looses a significant amount you turn your backs on them? Why are you bringing Dorea's _fame_ into this? Are you so petty that you have to remind yourselves that someone is famous every time they do something good or bad? Did any of you even try to get the full story from either Hermione, Neville, or Dorea?" The fifth years and up noticeably flinched, only furthering Bill's rage. "You didn't? You _didnt_?! so it's alright to ostracize her without knowing what she did? She was a first year that just came to Hogwarts out of an abusive home! Surely at least _one_ of you noticed that she kept to herself most of the time? Surely not _all of you_ are _draft_ enough to be able to pick out what absolutely destroys someone's self esteem and self worth? And **_you_**," Bill hissed, rounding on the professors. "**_One_ **of you must have noticed the way they were treating Dorea? **_No_**?" Bill's clenched fists began to bleed from the amount of force that he was gripping them with. "How _dare_ any of you say that you care for your students? How _dare_ **_any_ **of you say that you can tell when a student is hurt, be it physically or emotionally! All of you," Bill glared at every person in the Hall, fifth year and older. "**_Disgust_ _me_**." he sat back down, glaring at anyone that even moved. Dorea climbed back into Bill lap, clinging to him and sobbing. Bill smiled sadly, healed his hands, and wrapped Dorea up in a hug. "I'm here for you, sweety... I'm never gonna let you go... _Ever_..." he whispered. Dorea sniffled.

"No one - no one's ever st-stood up for me like - like that before..." she whispered in between sobs. Michaela decided it was her turn to rant, as she stood up and glared just as icily as Bill had.

"None of you got to know Dorea." the Quidditch team looked at Michaela as through struck by her. "None of you really got to know her enough to know that she would never do something so stupid as to fairly lose 150 points. Or did you all conveniently forget that there were two other Gryffindors with her? That it wasn't _just her_ that lost all those points?" People began sinking in their seats. Most of them had forgotten about Hermione and Neville... "And if you didn't forget, did you treat Hermione and Neville the same way? Or did you just glare at them and ignore them?" Michaela's eyes narrowed as everyone fifth year and above sunk lower in their seats. She had hit that nail on the head. "I can't believe it. And _none_ of the professors noticed this?" she asked, turning to the adults. The bright red faces and tears answered her question. "Unbelievable. How the _bloody hell_ can you all be so _blind_? Do your students mean _nothing_ to you? And _**you**_-" Michaela pointed at a smirking Snape. "Don't even get me _started_ on _**you**_. If I _ever_ find out that you encouraged bullying on Dorea just because she's a Potter, I swear you will wake up with your balls shoved sideways up your arse and your hands _ripped off_." she threatened. Molly looked appalled to the idea of threatening an adult so bluntly, while Charlie, Bill, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Madam Bones, the Bulgarians, the Prewett Twins, the Flamels, the other misfits, Michaela's grandparents, and the first years applauded her. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes had vanished as he looked depressed. How could have never have been able to tell that this was happening to Dorea? Perhaps, after the war is finally over, he should retire as Headmaster and allow someone that can see the problems that are going on in the student body to take over...

Sprout shakily started reading again, feeling as though she was being ripped in two. She prided herself on knowing what was going on in the student body more so than any other professor, and yet she hadn't been able to notice such obvious bullying when it was dancing around right in front of her...

**~Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped her on the back as she walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"~**

The Slytherins in their fifth year and up winced at their past actions. Daphne muttered an apology as she looked at Dorea, sobbing quietly into Bill's chest. She had no idea that this affected her so much, Dorea appeared to have brushed it off like it was nothing...

**~Only Ron stood by her.**

**"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."~**

"We've never lost so many points for such a stupid reason, though..." the Twins muttered through their tears.

**~"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Dorea miserably.**

**"Well - er - _no_," Ron admitted.~**

"They've also been treated fairly, though." Charlie growled, glaring up at McGonagall. He couldn't believe that someone he respected could be so cruel.

**~It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Dorea swore to herself not to meddle in things that weren't her business from now on. She'd had it with sneaking around and spying.~**

"Oh, and how long did that last, Poter?" Snape sneered. Dorea sniffled before answering.

"Before I found out that Voldemort was after the Stone." she said. People paled - so it was Voldemort who had been after the Stone. Umbridge growled and glared at Dorea.

"Detention, Miss Potter, for spreading lies." she said. Dorea winced and glared at Umbridge.

"I'm afraid I don't know a Miss Potter, I'm _Lady_ Potter." she snapped. Umbridge looked taken aback by Dorea's sudden spine, she usually accepted the detentions without a single complaint. She was about to retort when Madam Bones grabbed Umbridge's shoulder and forced her to sit down.

"Just wait until the end of the book before you make any judgement." she hissed. Umbridge pouted but complied. _Stupid half-blood bratlette..._

**~She felt so ashamed of herself that she went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.~**

Everyone who knew just how much Dorea loved Quidditch felt absolutely ashamed of themselves. They had caused her to want to _resign_...

**~"Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"~**

James and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"That's how we would earn back any massive amounts of points that we would lose, though maximum that we lost at a time was 100 points for 4 of us." James whispered. Dorea shook her head.

"Quidditch wasn't fun anymore, though..." she whispered back. The Gryffindor Quidditch team found themselves on the receiving end of glares from the Marauders, Lily Potter, and Bill Weasley. What did they do to her that made Quidditch not fun anymore for Dorea?

**~But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Dorea during practice, and if they had to speak about her, they called her "the Seeker."~**

Dorea's sobs only grew and Myrtle hugged her. She glared at the Quidditch team.

"I can't believe this. I _died_ because of the bullying I faced." she growled. The Quidditch team winced while Ron and Hermione glared at them - Myrtle was right, she had only been in her bathroom because she had been bullied into hiding there. The bullying had led her to her death.

**~Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Dorea, because they weren't as well known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.~**

People stared at the professors in shock. How did they not notice this part of it? Flitwick shifted in his seat.

"McGonagall had told us that they were the ones to lose that many points. Mr. Longbottom and Lady Potter are usually very quiet in class, and we all just thought that Ms. Granger was just ashamed that she had lost points for Gryffindor... None of us thought that they would be ostracized because of it... We didn't think that anyone took the Point System that _seriously_..." he squeaked, upset that none of them had been able to tell what was going on. How many other students were being bullied at this very moment, and they would never find out about it?

**~Dorea was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying she had to do kept her mind off her misery. She, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions**

**It wasn't until she arrived in the girls' dorms to find her trunk vandalized and her bed nearly torn apart that Dorea crumbled. Not even the Dursleys had done that to her belongings, the little belongings that she had been allowed.~**

Lavender, who had just re-entered the Hall with a hat covering her hair, winced. _She_ had been the one to do that...

**~Dorea selected the smallest unused classroom that she could find, hid in the corner, and began to cry. She longed for the safety of her cupboard, for the small space that no one had ever touched in her many years at the Dursleys. Hogwarts had once been her home. Now it only felt like another prison.~**

Sprout also began to cry at this part. The Gray Lady floated over to the Herbology professor, grabbed the book and continued reading where Sprout left off, making sure to float around the room as she read.

**~It was the Bloody Baron who found her there. Dorea looked up at his with puffy red eyes, his expression filled with concern.**

**"Why are you hiding here? What has brought you to tears?" he asked gently, his baritone voice soothing Dorea a little. Although she didn't want to tell, the Bloody Baron, whose name was actually William, refused to leave until he learned what was bothering Dorea. Once she told him what was going on at Hogwarts, however, Baron William became enraged and left, only to arrive with all the ghosts that haunted the castle; Nick, the Ravenclaw Ghost who went by either the Gray Lady or Lady Helena, the Fat Friar whose name was John, a young girl by the name of Myrtle, and even Peeves. Upon hearing Dorea's story, each ghost did their part in cheering Dorea up. Lady Helena told Dorea stories of students and professors in the past that had messed up much worse than Dorea had, Friar John was telling Dorea stories about some of the funniest pranks he had seen played in the school, Nick was telling Dorea some stories about her parents from when they were in Gryffindor, Myrtle had offered Dorea a stall in the bathroom she had haunted, Baron William began telling Dorea about the Founders and how Slytherin and Gryffindor would fight over almost everything, only for one of them having to leave the castle for a certain amount of time to cool down. Dorea found it entertaining that the entire populace of Hogwarts would take bets on who would leave next and for how long they would be gone. Peeves, on the other hand, helped Dorea with her impressions of everyone she had met so far and wreaked complete and total havoc on the school. Baron William refused to stop Peeves, instead, when approached to control Peeves, he would encourage the mayhem and even give the poltergeist suggestions as to who to pull pranks on next.~**

The entire Hall was staring at the ghosts and at Dorea in shock. They had no idea that it was because of the school ghosts that Dorea was able to keep control of herself at the time, they thought that Dorea had been able to handle everything... They had always thought that Dorea was strong on her own, that she had never needed help to face things like this.

**~Myrtle had taken to spying on Dorea's dorm room and reporting who was damaging Dorea's belongings to Peeves. Lady Helena began encouraging the portraits to tell Peeves what they saw in the halls so as to give him more victims. Nick and Friar John refused to speak to the students in their Houses, instead preferring to float around having discussions with each other. Dorea felt much more at comfort now, knowing that some people were on her side and were willing to defend her if need be.~**

"Of course we would defend Hogwarts' Champion! The idea of not standing by your side in itself is blasphemy!" Nick shouted, only to get whacked by both Myrtle and Helena.

"You dunce! Dorea was supposed to find out about that one her own!" Helena hissed, glaring at the now floppy-headed Nick. Everyone began to stare at Dorea in shock. She was Hogwarts' Champion? But how? Smith stood up, glaring at Nick and Helena.

"No way, there's no way that bitch is Hogwarts' Champion!" he shouted. There was a groan overhead as Smith jumped, shock by the stones beneath his feet themselves. Friar John chuckled darkly.

"Lady Potter has been Hogwarts' Champion since she stepped foot into this school. When she drew the Sword of Godric Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, it was simply evidence of her officially becoming Hogwarts' Champion. She has saved this school from dangers that the professors failed to do so, especially during her first and second years at this school. Do not insult Hogwarts' choice, she has been awake and waiting for over a thousand years, since the death of her last Champion." he said. Helena nodded once at John before she began reading again. The living in the Hall barely listening. Dorea was Hogwarts' Champion... Dumbledore shook his head slowly. He had been so wrong at the end of Dorea's second year... He believed that Gryffindor's Sword revealed itself to Dorea because she was Gryffindor's last descendant, not because she was Hogwarts' Champion... The last Champion that Hogwarts had was Godric Gryffindor himself. He looked at Helena.

"I take it that since she is Hogwarts' Champion, that means that she is allowed to wear that Sword of Godric Gryffindor as she pleases?" he inquired. Helena nodded once before turning back to the book, reading so that no one else could question Dorea's position. Umbridge scowled. That meant that the sword belonged to Dorea Potter now, completely and totally belonged to her!

**~Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Dorea's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern her was put to an unexpected test.**

**Daring to walk back from the library on her own one afternoon, she heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As she drew closer, she heard Quirrell's voice.**

**"No - no - not again, please -"~**

"Who's he pleading with?" Daphne muttered, nibbling on her thumb. She always did this when she was thinking. Well, Snape was still teaching at the school, so even though all the clues point to him, Snape couldn't be after the Stone... Meaning that Quirrell is after the Stone... But _why_? Why was he getting it for Voldemort? How was he even _talking_ to him?

**~It sounded as though someone was threatening him.~**

"Correction - he _was_ being threatened." Dorea muttered, leaning her head against Bill's chest. Bill ran his fingers through his hair, gently kissing Dorea's scar once again. Myrtle smirked at the two and grinned at Baron William, who shook his head in amusement. Myrtle was such a romantic.

**~Dorea slowly moved closer.**

**"All right - all right -" she heard Quirrell sob.**

**Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry.~**

"But how was Voldemort able to talk to him?" Dumbledore muttered. He hadn't been able to figure that part out, even to this day...

**~He strode out of sight; Dorea didn't think Quirrell had even noticed her. She waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end.~**

Snape winced. _All the evidence pointed to him, he really didn't blame Dorea for thinking it was him now... No! **No**! It was the **Potter bitch**, he would **not** let her win!_

**~Dorea was halfway toward it before she remembered what she'd promised herself about not meddling.~**

People stared at Dorea, slack-jawed. They knew exactly how much Dorea meddled in the lives of those in the school, but most of the time they never really understood why. Maybe they would find out soon...

**~All the same, she's have gambled twelve Philosopher's Stones that Snape had just left that very room as well,~**

Dorea snorted.

"I'm glad no one took me up on that bet. I don't have 12 Philosopher's Stones." she grumbled, making Bill chuckle. Dorea smiled a little as she felt his laughter against her cheek, it was an odd but pleasant feeling.

**~and from what Dorea had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step - Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.~**

Snape slowly shook his head, not that it was noticeable. If anything he was angrier than ever at Quirrell for giving into Voldemort so easily.

**~Dorea went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Dorea told them what she'd heard.**

**"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told his how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"~**

Everyone in the Hall snorted. There was no such thing as an Anti-Dark Force spell! Intent wards and Dark Mark repelling wards, yes, but there was no such thing as a spell to completely block out dark forces. Even the most intricate of wards could be broken, Bill's career was built off of that fact.

**~"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.**

**"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid,"~**

The Trio and Hagrid winced. Quirrell certainly found a way without asking, that was for sure...

**~said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Dorea?"**

**The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Dorea could.**

**"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."~**

"But you don't have any proof." Fabian pointed out. "Dumbledore might believe yo on the fact that someone in the school is after the Stone, but he won't believe that it's Snape unless he's proven guilty."

**~"But we've got no _proof_!" said Dorea angrily.~**

Fabian and Dorea air high-fived, making most of the Weasleys and all of the ghosts laugh at the pair.

**~"Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor - who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."~**

"That too." Fabian added, only for Dorea to stick her tongue out at him.

"You're just jealous because you aren't as thorough as I was at 11!" she sang. Bill smiled, glad that Dorea had stopped crying. But he wasn't going to forgive those that hurt her nearly as easily as Dorea had... Little did he know, Michaela was thinking the same thing. Dorea was her sister and these people hurt her, it would take a long time for her to forgive them.

**~Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't.**

**"If we just do a bit of poking around -"**

**"No," said Dorea flatly, "we've done enough poking around."**

**She pulled a map of Jupiter toward her and started to learn the names of its moons.~**

Sinistra shook her head.

"I was looking for Neptune's moons, not Jupiter's." she said. Dorea smiled sweetly.

"Easy, they're: Triton, Nereid, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Larissa, Proteus, Falatea, and 5 unnamed moons." she said. The first years made sure to write that down as Sinistra nodded, smiling at her favourite student.

**~The following morning, notes were delivered to Dorea, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:**

_**Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.**_

_**Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.**_

_**Professor McGonagall~**_

"That's just ridiculous, detention after hours for being out of bed after hours!" James shouted, angry at McGonagall for treating his Bambi so unfairly.

**~Dorea had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. She half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Dorea, she felt they deserved what they'd got.~**

"You were both wrong." Michaela and Charlie growled. McGonagall's sobs grew more pronounced from the Staff Table, she had failed her students so miserably, all of them had... Her poor Cubs... This was all her fault...

**~At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there - and so was Malfoy. Dorea had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.~**

"How do you forget about me?" Malfoy asked, a little angry. Hermione shrugged.

"Easy, none of us like you." she said simply. Dorea grinned at her friend before she sobered once again, remembering what had happened that night.

**~"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. ****"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?"~**

The Trio snorted.

"Nah, it just pushed us farther into... Well, that'll probably be tomorrow." Ron shrugged. Eyes twitched in annoyance - damn the Trio, they were keeping more secrets!

**~he said, leering at them. "Oh yes hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed.~**

"Argus, corporal punishment has long been banned from Hogwarts. I demand that you destroy those chains immediately." Dumbledore spat, angry at Filch for threatening his students. Filch shuddered under Dumbledore's glare, but gave his word that he would, albeit unwillingly. He so wanted to be able to whip those blasted students... And with Madam Umbridge now arrested, her promise of allowing that would never be fulfilled.

**~Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."**

**They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Dorea wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.~**

James snorted.

"Anything that isn't writing lines is pleasing in Filch's eyes. He hates the students because he's a bitter old fart." Lily didn't even bother reprimanding James, seeing as how he was only being honest about Filch.

**~The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Dorea could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.**

**"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."**

**Dorea's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad.~**

Those who had detention that night shuddered.

"You were _wrong_." Malfoy, Hermione, and Neville said. McGonagall froze in concern. What had their detention been?

**~Her relief must have showed in her face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girl - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."~**

"Argus," Dumbledore growled. "If your attitude towards the students does not improve you will find yourself in need of a new job and home." The students all cheered at the threat - Filch would never change his attitude and they all knew it. Filch, on the other hand, flushed. Hogwarts was the only place he could be hired, seeing as he was a Squib with no knowledge of the muggle world. If he lost this job, he'd be out on the streets until he died.

**~At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.**

**"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."~**

Remus chuckled.

"Not anymore." he said somberly. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"And it was the new moon that night, too." she mocked. Malfoy flushed, it wasn't like he had paid attention to that fact.

**~Neville clutched the sleeve of Dorea's robes and made a choking noise.~**

"Aw, is ickle Longbottom scared?" Smith taunted. Neville cast a Bat Bogey Hex at the blond boy, making most everyone chuckle in amusement. Dorea grinned.

"You're finally earning your claws, Nev!" she chirped. Neville rolled his eyes.

"You had your claws when you got to school. You don't get a say in when someone else earns their claws." he stated. Everyone who hadn't been in Gryffindor looked confused - earning your claws meant that you were showing the Gryffindor bravery.

**~"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"**

**Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.**

**"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Dorea, Hermione?"~**

"Thank God you're a good friend." Cat sighed in relief. At least Dorea, Hermione, and Neville wouldn't have to worry too much since Hagrid cared about them.

**~"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."**

**"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."~**

Gryffindors began to cheer for Hagrid. They never liked Filch, and it was good to see one of their own put him in his place.

**~"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily,~**

"_Argus_..." Dumbledore growled as a warning. Filch flinched a little and pretended not to have heard him. He failed miserably.

**~and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.**

**Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.**

**"I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Dorea was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.**

**"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."**

**"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd -"~**

"Be angry that you got caught and then force you into that forest himself." the Slytherins all recited. Like the Gryffindors, one of the Codes was if they were caught, they were on their own. Malfoy had been caught, therefore he had been on his own.

**~"- tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled.~**

The Slytherins all nodded, though some grudgingly at the idea of agreeing with Hagrid. Hagrid was so biased against them and they didn't even know why.

**~"Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone?~**

Dorea looked down at her bandaged hand. _Unless you were copying those lines with a Blood Quill, lines were useless... And less painful..._

Bill noticed the bandage and swore to himself that he would speak to Dorea about it. Her reaction was too immediate to be coincidental.

**~Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."**

**Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.**

**"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous~**

"Then why are first years getting this as their detention?" Padma Patil asked. Hagrid nodded.

"I told Pr'fessor McGonagall tha' I needed students ter help me in teh Forest, but I don' think she heard everythin' I said." he explained. The students nodded, that was the only way this was acceptable.

**~what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."**

**He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.**

**"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood.~**

Dorea froze and struggled in Bill's grasp. Firenze and Erador exchanged meaningful glances. So the Blessed One was traumatized over the events that included her blessing...

**~There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."**

**"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.~**

"Run..." Dorea choked out. "Run fast and run far... He's going to kill you if he finds you, so run... Run before he gets to you..." Lily and James looked at each other, terrified, as Bill attempted to comfort Dorea, to calm her down. What happened to her that's making her react so badly to the idea of unicorn blood?

**~"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid.~**

Ron snorted in disagreement. Aragog, anyone?

**~"An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."~**

"The poor thing..." Luna, Michaela, and Charlie all moaned, upset that someone was so willing to harm a unicorn, one of the embodiments of Light and purity.

**~"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.**

**"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward,"~**

Those that had been in the Forest with Fang nodded. Yeah, he was a right coward, that was for sure.

**~said Hagrid. "So me, Dorea, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other.~**

"Those are horrible pairings!" Sirius said, thinking about how much Malfoy could torment Neville in that forest. Poor Neville...

**~Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."~**

Moody nodded in agreement with that plan. It was one of the better ones that he had heard, by far. Though the best ones were generally during war times...

**~The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.**

**Dorea saw that Hagrid looked very worried.**

**"_Could_ a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Dorea asked.~**

Remus shook his head.

"Werewolves aren't fast enough, a unicorn can run at a top speed of 30 kilometres per hour. A fully grown werewolf can only run at 15 kilometres per hour." he explained. Those in their first and second years looked at him curiously, how would he know that? Did he have a Masters in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures?

**~"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."~**

Dorea shuddered, running her fingers up and down the scar on her right forearm. _She had seen worse than hurt, she had seen **dead**... She had unicorn blood running through her veins... She was **cursed**..._

**~They walked past a mossy tree stump. Dorea could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.~**

Moody, James, Remus, and Sirius looked at Dorea appreciatively. She definitely had the werewolf senses, especially if she could see the spots of unicorn blood during the new moon.

**~"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter - GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"~**

People jumped nearly a foot out of their seats as Helena shouted that. What? What happened?

**~Hagrid seized Dorea and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.~**

Dorea slowly rocked herself back and forth.

"He was there... He was there... He knew we were there..." she muttered over and over. Was this was inspired him to use the unicorn blood on her in June? Because she knew that he was cursed by it, he decided to curse her as well? Firenze trotted over to Dorea and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please calm, Blessed One... Please be calm..." he whispered. Bane looked as though he was about to protest, but one look from Erador silenced him. Bane knew he was no match for the older, stronger, and more experienced centaur. If he started a fight with Firenze, he would be the one to be banished from the tribe.

**~"I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."**

**"A werewolf?" Dorea suggested.~**

Remus mock glared at Dorea and she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Malfoy got the idea stuck in my head. Blame him." she muttered, still rocking. Bill, James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus all looked at each with worry. What was making Dorea react so badly? It couldn't have been Voldemort... Could it have?

**~"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."~**

"No, it was worse... _Much_ _worse_..." Dorea whispered. Firenze's grip on her shoulder tightened.

"Be calm, Blessed One, the Cursed One is not here. He cannot harm you." he whispered. Bill's eyes widened - was the Cursed One Voldemort? But how, _how_ was he the Cursed One?

**~They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.**

**"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself - I'm armed!"**

**And into the clearing came - was it a man, or a horse?**

**To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Dorea and Hermione's jaws dropped.~**

Firenze and a female centaur both chuckled. The female trotted over and smiled at Dorea.

"Greatest greetings, Blessed One. My name is Bellusequa. I must say, your reaction to seeing Ronan for the first time is... _Quiet_ amusing." she smiled. Dorea nodded in greeting to Bellusequa, but scowled.

"I'm cursed, not blessed..." she muttered. Bellusequa shook her head.

"It is because of the purity of your heart and soul that you are blessed and not cursed. The Cursed One has long since been first cursed, from when he was but a child in his mother's womb." she then looked at the sky. "Mars and Venus are unusually bright today..." she muttered as she slowly walked back to her tribe. Dorea raised an eyebrow.

"Mars, god of war, Venus, goddess of love. Weren't the two lovers?" she asked. Frienze smiled at Dorea.

"War can be started for and ended by love." he said cryptically. He squeezed Dorea's shoulder one more time before returning to his tribe, noticing the glares he received from Bane over his "consorting" with a human.

**~"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"**

**He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.**

**"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"~**

"Don't mind Ronan, whenever Mars is bright he is unusually depressed." Erador commented. Ronan glared at the Tribe leader, but said nothing as it was the truth. Oh how he hated war so...

**~"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Dorea Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur.**

**"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.**

**"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"**

**"Erm -" Dorea muttered, in awe at the centaur before her. His reddish tail was so pretty...~**

Bill snorted and James grinned.

"Looks like the Potter Curse is taking affect, if you ask me." he grinned and poked Dorea cheek, only for her to bite his finger in response.

**~"A bit," said Hermione timidly.~**

Everyone in the Hall snorted at that statement.

"If you've only learned a bit then we're all dumb fucks." Sierra snickered, only to get hit by Cat.

"Language!" she scolded. Michaela looked at Charlie with sad eyes.

"You see what we deal with? We have our very own mother-hen..." she sighed dramatically. Charlie chuckled and pulled Michaela into a hug.

"So, so sad..." he teased, pinching Michaela's cheek. Michaela could hear Bill snickering as she flushed bright red.

**~"A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."~**

"Mars is the Roman god of War." Luna sang out, a dreamy look in her eyes.

**~"Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?"**

**Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.**

**"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."~**

Dorea nodded sadly. _Cedric, Bertha Jorkins, that muggle that lived near Riddle Manor, just to name a few..._

**~"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin' Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"**

**"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."~**

"He means a war is about to begin again." Luna said mystically. Erador smiled happily at the Moon Child. So there was a human that could understand what they were talking about...

"Mars, Venus, and Pluto are abnormally bright as of the past months." he said, inquiring Luna's knowledge. Luna just smiled dreamily at him.

"A war over love and death has begun." she translated. Erador positively beamed at Luna as the other centaurs stared at her in awe. He trotted over to her and held a fist over his heart.

"Merry meet, Moon Child." he said. Luna smiled and held her own fist over her heart.

"Merry meet, Tribe Leader." she replied. Erador patted Luna's head and returned to his tribe. The Ravenclaws all began muttering under the breaths about Luna - maybe she wasn't so much of a nut-job after all...

**~"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home," said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"**

**Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets." .**

**A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan.~**

"He _is_ much wilder." Firenze interrupted. Helena nodded at the centaur, knowing to be polite to the tribe that lived in Hogwarts' forest. They had sworn to protect Hogwarts during any times of war, and she would respect that promise.

**~"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?"**

**"Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?"~**

"He can be polite at times, though..." Firenze added, rolling his eyes. Bane was such a hot-head.

**~"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured - would yeh know anythin' about it?"**

**Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward.**

**"Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.~**

"They want you to take the hint." Luna said knowingly. Ronan and Bane nodded, that had been their intentions.

**~"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."**

**Dorea and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.**

**"Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."~**

Erador chuckled deeply. Several girls swooned at the sound, he may be a centaur, but he was very, very, _very_ attractive. Umbridge sneered at those girls. _Those idiotic children had no idea what a danger he really was..._

**~"Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione.**

**"Oh, a fair few Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs they know things jus' don' let on much."**

**"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Dorea anxiously.**

**"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns - never heard anythin' like it before."~**

"It was..." Dorea said, her voice barely above a whisper. Bill cuddled up to Dorea, attempting to comfort her. Something about this chapter clearly upset her, but he didn't know what it was...

**~They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Dorea kept looking nervously over his shoulder. She had the nasty feeling they were being watched.~**

"Which means we probably were." Hermione said. Dorea's instincts were usually spot on when it came to this sort of stuff, so if she thought they were being watched, they were being watched. Moody nodded appreciatively.

"Girl practices CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he shouted, making everyone except Dorea jump a mile out of their seat. "You could all learn a thing or two from her." he grinned, nodding at Dorea. Tonks scowled in jealousy at the girl. It wasn't her fault she was a total klutz... And a little crazy, but she blamed the Black family genes for that bit.

**~She was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.**

**"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!" she said, pointing in the direction that they came from.**

**"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"**

**They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.**

**"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.**

**"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville it's our fault he's here in the first place." Dorea whispered back, putting Hermione slightly behind herself. She couldn't help but feel that Hermione was safer if she was behind her.~**

Moody nodded in agreement. With Dorea's instincts, if she said Hermione was safer behind her, then she probably was.

Remus, on the other hand, sent Dorea a proud smile for being concerned about his godson. She was there for him when he couldn't be, and for that he was thankful.

**~The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Dorea's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig.~**

Hermione's head snapped up at that. She didn't remember any twigs cracking! Dorea paled. He had been circling them, waiting for a moment to pounce, to get her alone... If it hadn't been for Firenze, he would've.

**~What was going on? Where were the others?**

**At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming.~**

James and Lily looked at Hagrid curiously. They had never seen Hagrid fuming before...

**~Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke.~**

Moody growled and glared at Malfoy with his magical eye.

"Yo'd never be an Auror if you act like that." he said. Amelia nodded in agreement. She would never allow someone like that to work in the DMLE, and she knew Scrimgeour would never let someone like that int the Auror Department. That was actually why they were so short on Aurors, now, because the Ministry would only allow halfbloods and purebloods to work for them, and half the people that attempted to become Aurors were people just like Malfoy attempted to join his department just so they would be able to help put away those they felt were threats to society. Meaning muggleborns, of course.

**~Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.**

**"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups - Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Dorea, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Dorea, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."~**

Malfoy smirked. That was his goal all along, he had honestly been hoping that Dorea would get scared and cling to him. Too bad almost the exact opposite happened, where he had gotten scared and ran, leaving Dorea behind.

**~So Dorea set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Dorea thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Dorea could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.**

**"Look -" she murmured, holding out her arm to stop Malfoy.~**

Malfoy's smirk widened. She may not like him, but she was absolutely perfect for him, even if she didn't want to admit it. But the sight that had come up had ruined the moment.

**~Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.**

**It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Dorea had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.~**

Dorea began shuddering violently. James and Bill exchanged identical looks, both nodding. Bill lifted Dorea up bridal style and carried her out of the room. Umbridge looked as though she was about to complain, but one look from both Madam Bones and Fudge held her back. Fudge looked at Dorea, feeling a strange twinge of concern. _What had happened to her that caused such a horrible reaction from the Lady Potter?_

**~Dorea had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made her freeze where she stood.**

**A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Dorea, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.~**

The centaurs shuddered violently, the Cursed One had been so close to their tribe and the children of the school... Many of them may not like humans, but they could never wish harm upon young.

**~"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"**

**Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted - so did Fang.~**

"Run..." several centaurs muttered. "Please run, Blessed One..."

**~The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Dorea - unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Dorea - she couldn't move out of fear.~**

Erador grabbed Firenze's shoulder. Firenze, Bane, and Ronan had told him what had happened. It was thanks to him that the Blessed One got out of there before the Cursed One could claim her as his own... Starting a war because he loved the idea of the Blessed One, because of his fear of death... But they could not interfere with the war unless the Cursed One attacked the castle, as was part of their agreement.

**~Then a pain like she'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though her scar was on fire. Half blinded, she staggered backward. She heard hooves behind her, galloping, and something jumped clean over Dorea, charging at the figure.~**

Bellusequa sighed and rested her head on Firenze's shoulder.

"Thank the heavens you were there..." she whispered. Firenze nodded and wrapped an arm around Bellusequa's shoulder, much to Bane's anger.

**~The pain in Dorea's head was so bad she fell to her knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When she looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.~**

"I am younger than Bane, by several years." Firenze said, nodding in agreement with Dorea's thoughts.

**~"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Dorea to her feet and checking her for injuries.**

**"Yes - thank you - what was that?"**

**The centaur didn't answer.**

**He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires.~**

Hermione huffed.

"So she can give him a flattering description." she muttered. Firenze smiled.

"That may have to do with the fact that my eyes reminded her of the eyes of her beloved." he stated. Hermione and Ron blinked before exchanging glances - was Bill Dorea's beloved? Ron's eyes widened - was Dorea in _love_ with Bill? As in, more than just fancying him?

**~He looked carefully at Dorea, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Dorea's forehead.**

**"You are the Potter girl, the Fated one," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.~**

People and centaurs alike stared at Firenze in shock. The centaurs were more understanding, though. If the Cursed One was after the Blessed One, it was their duty to make sure that the Blessed One got out of their territory, whatever the cost. Bane, however, glared at the ground and pawed the ground in frustration. Firenze lowered himself by allowing the Potter girl to ride on his back, she had not yet been the Blessed One. If that were to happen now he would not complain as she was the Blessed One, but at the time she had only been the Fated One.

**~"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Dorea could clamber onto his back.~**

"Incredible..." Madam Bones muttered, staring at the empty spot between Lily and James Potter. _Dorea Potter actually rode on the back of a **centaur**..._

**~There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.**

**"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"**

**"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter girl, the Fated One. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better."~**

Everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement. The sooner the better, most definitely.

**~"What have you been telling her?" growled Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"**

**Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice.~**

"I was." Firenze said. "The sooner the Blessed One is farther away from the Cursed One the better."

**~Bane kicked his back legs in anger.**

**"For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"**

**Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Dorea had to grab his shoulders to stay on.~**

Firenze looked a little sheepish at the mention.

"I would apologize to the Blessed One, but she isn't here at the moment." he muttered. Bellusequa shook her head, amused by her foal friend.

**~"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."~**

Erador glared at Bane.

"The Cursed One was attempting to lay claim on the Blessed One. Even if she was only the Fated One at the time, we will always ally ourselves with those the Castle protects." he ground out. Bane looked at the ground, angered. When he became the leader of the tribe things would change. Many things would change.

**~And Firenze whisked around; with Dorea clutching on as best she could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.**

**Dorea didn't have a clue what was going on.**

**"Why's Bane so angry?" she asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"**

**Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Dorea to keep her head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Dorea's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Dorea thought Firenze didn't want to talk to her anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.**

**"Dorea Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"**

**"No," said Dorea, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."~**

"And that's all anyone will ever use, it I have say about it." Lily growled, knowing exactly what unicorn blood did.

**~"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."~**

The centaurs all nodded, this was how the Cursed one attempted to hold onto his power before he regained his body.

**~Dorea stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.~**

Hermione's eye twitched. Oh come _on_! Why did he get to be pretty much the only one with an attractive description!

**~"But who'd be that desperate?" she wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"~**

"Yes." the centaurs said without hesitation. That was why the Blessed One was so important to them, she was proof that purity prevented to curse of unicorn blood, especially when taken unwillingly.

**~"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else something that will bring you back to full strength and power - something that will mean you can never die. Ms. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"**

**"The Philosopher's Stone! Of course - the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who -"**

**"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"~**

Dumbledore's eyes widened and Hagrid's jaw dropped.

"Tha' wasn't..." he whispered, horrified. Dorea had been so close to Voldemort... Umbridge scowled.

"He! Is! _DEAD_!" she shouted. Ron cleaned his ear with his little finger.

"You won't be saying that once the book is over." he said simply.

**~It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Dorea's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, she seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told her on the night they had met: _"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."_~**

"He didn't." all the members of the Order said as one. Umbridge's scowl deepened. Stupid blood traitors, believing those lives...

**~"Do you mean," Dorea croaked, "that was _Vol_-"**

**"Dorea! Dorea, are you all right?"**

**Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.~**

"Oh thank Merlin that Hagrid's there, nothing that naturally lives in that forest harms him." Sirius sighed, glad that Dorea was safe and not thinking about Voldemort anymore.

**~"I'm fine," said Dorea, hardly knowing what she was saying.~**

"That much is obvious." Hermione huffed. She was upset that Dorea was nearly attacked by Voldemort and never told anyone. The most she had said was that she saw someone drinking the unicorn blood.

**~"The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."**

**"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."**

**Dorea slid off his back.**

**"Good luck, Dorea Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."~**

Erador sighed.

"If only it was..." he muttered.

**~He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving a shivering Dorea behind him.**

**Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. ~**

All the women in the Hall smiled. Ron was such a good friend...

**~He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Dorea roughly shook him awake. In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Dorea began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest.~**

"She didn't tell us everything, just that she saw a cloaked figure drink unicorn blood. She never mentioned that he started toward her..." Ron muttered, his hand shaking a little. Thank whoever was merciful today that this was the last chapter...

**~Dorea couldn't sit down. She paced up and down in front of the fire. She was still shaking.~**

"Dorea can't stay still when she's thinking, if she's sitting she'll start fidgeting but if she's standing she'll pace until the either the floor gives out beneath her or until she figures something out." Hermione explained for the sake of everyone. She was digging her nails into her thigh, she hadn't noticed Dorea shaking...

**~"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort And Voldemort's waiting in the forest And all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich "~**

"Well, that would be a plausible reason to want the Stone." Nicholas admitted. A stone that would turn any metal into gold, Snape would be rich by selling gold jewellery in a heartbeat. Simply buy a bunch of fake jewellery from a store that sells them cheaply, make them touch the Stone, and voila! Instant real jewellery.

**~"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.~**

"It used to be that he could." James muttered darkly, still wondering how Voldemort managed to make that name taboo. It took Unspeakables to make something taboo... Then again, he probably Imperiused some of the other Unspeakables into doing that for him.

**~Dorea wasn't listening.~**

"That's normal, though." George pointed out, slowly detaching Hermione's hand from her leg when he noticed the blood dripping from where her nails dug into the meaty flesh. Hermione didn't even seem to notice that she had broken the skin, either. She was just as bad as Dorea in that sense, the ravenette was always getting cut on something and wouldn't notice it until someone pointed out she was bleeding.

**~"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so Bane was furious He was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen They must show that Voldemort's coming back Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me - I suppose that's written in the stars as well."~**

"No, he didn't want to kill her. He wanted to claim her as his own." Ronan growled. If there was one thing he hated, it was men forcing themselves upon women.

**~"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.~**

"Never gonna happen, Ron." Fred said, shaking his head at his baby brother. "Get used to it, she'll be saying it long after he's finally dead." Umbridge glared at Fred.

"Which he is!" she hissed. Fred rolled his eyes and mimed something to Gideon, who chuckled. Molly looked a little confused, what did Fred do?

In answer to that question: he mimed strangling Umbridge.

**~"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Dorea went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off. Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."~**

"Having the Cursed One at his strongest is the last thing any of us want." Bane grumbled, looking at the ground. He really had made a terrible impression on the Fated, now Blessed, One.

**~Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.**

**"Dorea, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of, with Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. As long as Dumbldore's around, you're safe.~**

Lily and James smiled at Hermione. She was such a good friend for Dorea.

**~Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."~**

"Not centaurs, they don't see what they want, they see what actually is. Their ways have been refined for hundreds of years, and like the goblins with their battle abilities, are trained as children to understand what everything in the stars means." McGonagall corrected herself. Hermione looked impressed with the centaurs, maybe they're predictions could be trusted, unlike a certain gypsy...

**~The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.**

**When Dorea pulled back her sheets, she found her invisibility cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:**

**_Just in case._~**

Snape sent Dumbledore an icy glare as Helena closed the book.

"That is the chapter. I believe it is time for dinner?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded and food appeared on the tables in front of everyone. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances while Michaela looked around.

"Why aren't Bill and Dorea back yet?" she asked Charlie. Charlie froze for a moment before he looked around as well. Where did those two go, anyway?

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15,585**

**Next chapter is gonna be an interlude, guys! And a very happy birthday to my good friend, se2zno!**

**Review Count: 340**

**Sweet Jesus! 340? 340?! I love all of you so so so so so so sooo much right now! *glomps reviewers* Please keep reviewing peoples!**

**Review Goal: 365**

**REVIEW BUTTON IS DON THERE PEOPLE! **

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
**

**SO LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	18. Interlude 3

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**Interlude 3 everybody! I tried to update as quickly as possible, but it takes a while to make these interludes as long as I want them to be! And there will be mentions of self-harm in this chapter. Three guesses for who, and if you need the other two then you really have no clue as to what I have planned. So far griffindork93 is the closest to guessing!**

**There's something I'd like to clear up - I know that I said that Lily was an Unspeakable and that last chapter only halfbloods and purebloods were really hired for the Ministry anymore, but Lily worked for the Ministry 14 years before this story. Things would have changed a ton in that time span - think about how things have changed in the past 14 years and think of what I mean like that.**

**Note: Cioppino is a, quote unquote, "rich and hearty" fish stew. I think it's safe to assume that spicy cioppino is spicy fish stew.**

**Note 2: A pentagram is a five pointed star**

**ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FOR THE SONGS SUNG IN THIS CHAPTER, PEOPLE! I OWN NONE OF THEM! And you can thank vanillacookies99 for providing the song that Dorea sings!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Dingo T. Wilds: My theory is that it's because Harry is famous. If Harry hadn't been famous, it's more likely that less people would have turned on him because he wasn't well known, but since he's famous and apparently isn't allowed privacy when people hear an official opinion or statement about Harry they tend to think that it's the truth no matter what. For example - if Hary hadn't been famous and said that Voldemort was back, how do you think the public would react? I think they would be cut in half, 50% believing him and 50% not or being bribed to say they don't.**

**bloomnskyrules: Really, they did? I was a little disappointed in them, but then again, my standards are usually way up high... Oh don't worry, there will be more fluff! And no problem about the review - you're in med school? That's so cool! Good luck with the exam!**

**griffindork93: Alright, about Michaeala - you're warm. As for her home life at Privet Drive and her interest in psychology, you're spot on. I have a plan for how Michaela and Charlie are going to get together in the books, and the reason they met in the books will be totally different than how anyone would expect. Yeah, I mainly brought in the centaurs to piss off Umbitch. Ok, the significance of the 'greatest greetings' would sorta be like a normal person meeting a member of the British Royal Family, 'Blessed One' is describing Dorea because she was blessed by the unicorn blood, not cursed by it like everyone else who drank it would have. Yes, it does involve the graveyard and Dorea was horribly traumatized by what happened that night. As for what happened - you'll have to wait to find out! ^W^ *dodges rotten tomatoes* Well, I think they didn't bother to find out why Dorea lost those points because they were so angry about the fact that Dorea lost so many points in one go. When you're angry at someone you really don't think too much, and that's how pretty much the entire school was towards Dorea, they were so angry at her that they didn't stop to consider why she would have lost so many points. You loved the rants? I thought that they were a disappointment... Once again, I set my standards so high that it's hard to write rants that meet my expectations. Yes, Lavender is gonna be a bitch. Ron may date her, but there is an added incentive to make them date if they will. Yes, she has definitely needed the ghosts the past years at Hogwarts. Definitely needed them. Heh, yeah, the HOrcrux hunt is gonna go much smoother than it did in canon. Well, as for being Hogwarts' Champion... I'm not totally sure what that means yet. As to why Dorea was supposed to find out on her own, simple, because if she found out she was Hogwarts' Champion in her first year it could have gone to her head that she was the first chosen to be Champion since Gryffindor was champion. Let's be honest, that would go to any 11 year old's head. Why Filch was hired: they needed a caretaker and he was the only one who would apply for the job. Yes, unicorn blood can be taken unwilingly, I said in the second interlude that Voldemort poured it directly into Dorea's blood. So it technically never touched her lips. Moly bashing is so much fun - I love the idea of Molly's character, the protective mother that takes Harry in as her own, but the way she acts in the books kinda pisses me off.**

**bookfreak25: Dear Merlin, I'm actually blushing at the compliments! I'm glad that I managed to get you hooked the way I did, because I have so much more planned for later on in the books it's not even funny how busy I'll be. Thank Merlin Christmas break is coming up, updates will be coming out so much more quickly after that. (fem)Harry/Bill is my favourite pairing, (fem)Harry/Charlie is my second favourite. Drarry is good to, but it gets kinda old after a while... As for everybody playing cupid except Fleur - totally intended. And once they do get together everyone is gonna be like "FINALLY!" and slump in their seats. Ok come on, who doesn't love a Reading the Books story that has Lily and James in it? As for who I'll add, I'll need to think about that. Yeah, I'm thinking about having Umbitch fall out of her chair shrieking about lies while Fudge just sits there, totally horrified. Hope I updated soon enough for you!**

**MistBlade8: Sweet Jesus, if I had a teacher like that it would be awesome. For some reason all my teachers end up liking me, and I don't know why yet... So he would probably give me warnings too if I was in your class. Off topic? Yes. Interesting comment? Absolutely.**

**~O~O~O~**

Bill carried Dorea all the way to his assigned room in the Gryffindor Tower, the room he shared with Charlie. He set a still shaking Dorea down on his bed and felt her forehead. She was freezing. Bill pulled Dorea back into his lap, wrapped the two of them up in blankets, and leaned back against his headboard, attempting to warm Dorea up.

It took a while, but finally Dorea stopped shaking and was looking around curiously. Bill's half of the room was a soft cream colour, while Charlie's was a brilliant contrast, being a shocking chemical red. Bill's bed was a double bed, four poster like her own, made of a cork-coloured wood with yellow gold trim. There was a matching book case that ran from ceiling to floor that sat beside the window, a matching desk and chair set beneath that same window, two bedside tables on either side of Bill's headboard, the dresser sitting against the wall opposite to Bill's bed and a knee-high golden chest that Dorea could only compare to the infamous Arc of the Covenant at the foot of his bed. Bill's sheets were a warm yellow, almost golden in colour, and made of a lightweight yet warm fabric that Dorea couldn't describe. There were posters of the different Egyptian gods and goddesses all over Bill's walls, she recognized Isis and Horus taking the space over Bill's headboard. Bill smiled when he noticed that the colour had returned to Dorea's face.

"You alright now, sweety?" he asked. Dorea nodded her head, then snuggled it into the crook of Bill's neck. He smirked a little and pinched Dorea's cheek. "So, you gonna tell me everything you saw in that mirror?" Because I know you saw more than just being pregnant." he stated. Dorea's face burned bright red as she remembered what she actually saw that night all those years ago. She refused to look Bill in the eye, instead inspecting a poster of Ra.

"Not today. May some other day." she muttered shortly. Bill pouted and turned Dorea's head so she was looking at him. He leaned in so that their noses were touching, still looking Dorea in the eyes. He could feel the heat coming from her blush.

"Please?" he asked. He couldn't help but smirk even more as he felt her face burn even hotter as her blush grew a brighter red. She slowly shook her head, closing her eyes. She couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of Bill being so close to her... She wondered if waking up to him every morning would be similar to this.

The moment was completely and utterly ruined by two stomachs growling loud enough to make both Bill and Dorea jump. Bill flushed as he realized exactly how hungry both he and Dorea must be, before a certain House Eld came to mind.

"Dobby!" Bill called. Dorea's flushed died down a little as Dobby CRACKed in.

"Miss Dorea Potter! Mister Wheazey! Whats can Dobby bes doing for yous?" he asked, a sly grin on his face. Bill and Dorea each made mental notes to thank Dobby for the mistletoe earlier. Bill smiled thankfully at Dobby.

"Dobby, would you mind bringing Dorea and I something to eat?" he asked. Dobby's grin grew wider and he nodded, leaving with another CRACK. Dorea glanced up at Bill.

"Is it just me, or is Dobby trying to get us together?" she asked. Bill blushed a little brighter and nodded in agreement. Dorea nodded once in understanding. With another loud CRACK, Dobby reappeared carrying a platter with several different drinks, ranging from red wine to pumpkin juice, and two bowls filled with spicy cioppino for Dorea and Bill.

"Mister Wheazey and Miss Dorea Potter aren't allergic to seafoods, is they?" Dobby asked in concern. When both Dorea and Bill shook their head, Dobby beamed. "I's and Winky is made this just for yous!" Dobby bounced over, setting the tray in Dorea and Bill's lap. Dorea huffed a little, now she wouldn't be able to move even if she wanted to. Bill unwrapped the two of them just enough so that they could use their arms so they could eat.

He seriously doubted that Dorea wanted Dobby to spoon feed the two of them.

**~O~O~O~ 1 HOUR LATER - WITH MICHAELA AND CHARLIE ~O~O~O~**

The pair was walking up to the Gryffindor Tower so as to go to their dorms to sleep for the night. Michaela and Charlie were comparing how the dragons at Michaela's Clan's dwelling differed to the way the dragons at Charlie's reserve were raised and treated. So far, the dragons at Michaela's reserve had it better because dragons were more trusting towards High Elves and half High Elves, simply because High Elves don't involve other creatures in their wars the way wizards and witches do. Michaela was scratching her wrist when something caught Charlie's eye. He grabbed her arm, yanked up her sleeve, and stared at her forearm in horror. He slowly looked up at Michaela, shocked, horrified, and distressed all at the same time. Tears began to sting his eyes.

"Michaela..." he started. Michaela forced herself to look anywhere but the piercing blue eyes that were staring directly at her. "Why are you cutting yourself?" he choked out. Michaela refused to look Charlie in the eye, shame flooding her expression. She was going to have to talk about what happened... Her past... Her loss...

"It started on my 14th birthday..." she began.

Neither noticed the 14 year old redhead at the end of the corridor, listening to everything Michaela was saying. Little did either redhead know the absolutely horrible past that Michaela had. Little did they know that simply getting Michaela to talk about it would change everything between those three.

**~O~O~O~ WITH DOREA AND BILL ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was snuggled up in a cocoon of Bill's blankets, just simply talking to the redheaded man about some of the most random things they could think of when Lily and James knocked and walked in the room. Lily rolled her eyes at James and glared at him.

"Honestly, you knock and then wait for them to say you can come in!" she said. James glared right back at his wife.

"But that would mean I couldn't embarrass Bill!" he whined. Bill glared at James for that comment while Dorea snickered. Lily rolled her eyes.

"If they were doing something that would embarrass Bill it would embarrass Bambi two, genius." she jeered. Bill smirked at the now glowering Dorea while James huffed in annoyance. Bill sighed.

"And the wife wins the argument once again." he commentated, making Dorea giggle at the looks on her parents' faces. Lily sighed and smiled at Bill.

"Sorry Bill, but we need to steal our daughter from you for a little bit. Don't worry, when we're done with her she'll be in one piece." she winked, making Bill chuckle as he started to tear apart Dorea's cocoon. The 15 year old started whining as Bill unwrapped her from the warm blankets, picked her up, and literally handed her to James.

"Here's your little missy." he said cheekily. Dorea pouted and glared at Bill.

"I'm _not_ little!" she insisted. James chuckled as he threw his daughter over his shoulder.

"No, you're not little," he started. Lily chuckled a grinned, knowing exactly where he was going with this. "You're an itty-bitty missy!" Ignoring the punches that Dorea was throwing against his back, James followed his wife out of the room of a now hysterical Bill. They walked across the now empty common room and over to James and Lily's room. James set his daughter down in the lounge area and cast a locking charm on the door. The furniture, which was the same as the furniture in Dorea's lounge, had been pushed up against the walls. A chalk pentagram inside of a circle took up most of the floor. At each point of the star was a different coloured candle, white a the top point, bronze on the right point, silver at the bottom right point, gold at the bottom left point, and black at the left point. Inside the pentagram were different gemstones, ranging from aquamarines to peridots all the way up to sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds. In the center of the pentagram was a circle of black and white cloth, an ebony bowl, and a red sacrificial knife, the blade a foot long and straight. Dorea let out a tiny 'eep' as her father levitated her onto the cloth in the center.

"Wait - you mean we're - _now_?" Dorea stammered. Lily nodded grimly.

"Unless you want that piece of Voldemort's soul to remain in your forehead, we have to do it now. It's the waxing moon of the tenth month. This is the only time we can do this ritual." Lily said, remembering yesterday when they used a scanning Rune on Dorea's scar. The most they had expected to find was residue of an unfinished spell, but instead they had discovered that a sliver of Voldemort's scar resided within her scar. The plan that they had come up with was to transfer the sould shard into that bowl before Dorea, and on the full moon of December they would use a ritual that would destroy not only that soul shard, but would make it so that if Voldemort attempted to make another Horcrux, as they were called, his soul would be completely destroyed.

"Now, Horcruxes were created by Mordred, who wanted to rule the world for all eternity. The Lord Potter that had apprenticed under Merlin and Morganna was assigned by king Arthur to discover how to destroy the Horcruxes so that they could defeat Mordred for once and for all. The Lord Potter of the time had a mastery in Ancient Runes, Ancient Studies, Ritual Magick, and Arithmancy. It took him about 10 years to figure it out, but once he did it was what turned the tides of the war. This ritual hasn't been done since that day, but it has been one of the most well known rituals in out family, since it has been commented on in almost every Ritual Magick book known to mankind. The original Horcrux that Mordred created was his mother's staff, so you can see why this ritual was necessary " James said, taking his position in between the white and black candles. Lily took her position opposite of him, in between the silver and bronze candles. Dorea nodded, understanding exactly what her father was talking about. This ritual was used on items that had been turned into Horcruxes and were too precious to destroy.

"So what do I need to do?" she asked. James smiled at Dorea and pointed to the red knife.

"When we're done the first verse of the ritual, you need to slice your scar with that knife and sit down on the cloth. After that you won't have to do anything else - just don't faint on us, I don't know if that will happen or not. This ritual's only -" Dorea cut him off.

"Done once, and it wasn't on a living human. Got it." she said. James smiled and cleared his throat. He lit the black candle, knely on one knee, and began to chant.

"_Tertio potestate, quaesumus, mutare nos sorte datum. Huic non malo animo suo fert, hostem magno malo animo. Sic fiat, sic fiat!_" (translated: _Power of Three, we beg of thee, gift us with the power to change destiny. This child carries an evil soul not her own, an evil soul from a great enemy. So mote it said, so mote it be!_) James and Lily chanted. Dorea, remembering what she had been told, made a small slice with the knife over her scar. She let out a small hiss as she felt the scar burn, not as though it was on fire like it would from her nightmares, but instead burning from feeling like dry ice was pressed against her scar. She nodded at her parents to continue the ritual. "_Tertio potestate, quaesumus, animae malum coram te transferre. Merlini vi, Morganna vi et potestate Peverell, ita fiat, sic fiat!_" (translated: _Power of Three, we beg of thee, transfer the evil soul in front of thee. By the Power of Merlin, by the Power of Morganna, and the Power of Peverell, so mote it said, so mote it be!_) Dorea grit her teeth at a high pitch screamed was emitted from her scar. The next moment a black smoke was forced fro Dorea's forehead and attempted to leave the circle. When it reached the edge of the chalk circle, the other candles burst into flames and a white transparent dome was created, trapping Dorea and the black smoke inside of it. The smoke flew around before it hovered in front of Dorea, revealing crimson eyes that could only be Voldemort's. Dorea's eyes narrowed into slits and became a Killing Curse green.

"I have seen you dreams, your nightmares, your desires..." it hissed. Dorea's eyes widened for a moment when the smoke turned into an image of Bill, smiling at Dorea. "Let me stay, Rea... I can be yours..." he said. Dorea closed her eyes and sighed. She felt faint, but she had to do this, she couldn't let that bastard win...

"I don't want you." she said. The image of Bill widened its eyes in shock. She didn't want him? "You. Aren't. _Bill_." she condemned, then glared at her father. "Transfer it NOW!" she shouted. James smiled at Dorea and nodded. He didn't need to be told twice.

"_Potentia trium, precipimus de te - transferre anima nunc! Sic fiat, fiat, fiat sic_!" (translated:_ Power of Three, we command of thee - transfer the soul now! So mote it be done, so mote it be!_) he and Lily commanded. The flames on the candles flared up a foot tall, each flame the colour of their respected candle. The jewels within the pentagram shown brightly, runes from ages ago shining within the space between the pentagram and the circle. With one last shrill scream, the smoke was sucked into the ebony bowl. Dorea let out a sigh of relief as she heard her parents say, "_Potentia trium, jubemus tibi gratias._" (translated: _Power of Three, we bid thee thanks._) The glow faded and the flames disappeared. Lily levitated Dorea out of the pentagram and over to the couch, where Dorea spent the next 20 minutes sleeping away the exhaustion that came with having a Horcrux removed the way it was.

**~O~O~O~ WITH GINNY ~O~O~O~**

Michaela and Charlie had long since left the corridor and were in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny, however, was frozen on the spot, horrified at what she had just overheard. She had heard muggleborns telling horror stories similar to what had happened to Michaela, stories of actual cases in muggle cities all over the world, but she had never imagined that something like that would actually happen within the magical community. Ginny felt a chill go up her spine as she thought about how the magical community worked and realized that, compared to the muggle world, things were a lot worse. Criminals almost never got really punished for anything, the only ones being punished being those who went against the Ministry. Things weren't like that in the muggle world. In the muggle world, things were much more fair.

After what felt like hours to Ginny, she managed to stand and shakily make her to the Gryffindor Common Room.

She would never be able to look at Michaela the same way again. The only person she knew that was as brave as Michaela was Dorea, and that was saying something.

**~O~O~O~ 20 MINUTES LATER - WITH DOREA ~O~O~O~**

Poke.

Poke.

Swat.

Poke poke.

Swat.

...

...

_Pooooooooooooke_.

"I'M UP, OK!" Dorea shouted, glaring at the offender poker that was Michaela. "JUST STOP POKING ME!" Michaela grinned at her friend.

"Karaoke in the Great Hall, and you're joining!" she insisted. Dorea flushed and attempted to tuck herself back under the covers, only for Michaela to grab her ponytail. "No use saying you can't sing, you and I both know we were the best singers in primary, and I know for a fact that your singing voice hasn't gone downhill since." Dorea pouted at Michaela, who grinned wickedly. "If you don't come, Fleur will have Bill all to herself..."

"_WHAT_?!" Dorea shot out of bed, grabbing Michaela's shoulders with an iron grip. "What was that about Fleur?" Michaela blinked in surprise.

"You didn't know? Fleur wants Bill all to herself." she said simply. She winced a little as Dorea's grip tightened even further before the younger 15 year old let go. Michaela quickly found herself being dragged out of the room by a very competitive woman.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go, slowbro!" Dorea said, referring to the Pokemon games that she and the rest of the misfits would play when they were younger, curtesy of Sierra and Dan. Michaela yelped as Dorea yanked harshly on her arm.

"Wait - ow - what're you - ow! - Dorea, that - ow - hurts!_ Stop dragging_!" she said. Dorea sent Michaela a dead glare before letting go of her arm and taking off in a run. "Oi - Dorea, wait up!"

**~O~O~O~ IN THE GREAT HALL ~O~O~O~**

Dorea snuck her way into the Great Hall with a silent Michaela on her tail, only to see something that turned almost everything red.

Fleur. And Bill. On the 'dance floor'. Together. Dancing - well, more like Fleur was attempting to dry hump Bill while Bill was actually dancing to the music. Michaela put a hand on Dorea's shoulder, preventing her from going over there and strangling Fleur to death. Secretly, Michaela wanted to do that herself. Fleur reminded her of her so much that she just wanted to break that pretty little face in and watch with a sick satisfaction as she bled onto the marble floor.

"Karaoke is starting in a few minutes. Until then do something else." Michaela said, walking off to go talk to Charlie. Dorea smiled as she noticed the way Michaela was twirling her hair. Michaela always twirled her hair, but that was definitely a flirtatious twirl going on over there. Dorea walked over to a table and leaned against it, just simply waiting and watching everything going on in the room. Needless to say, she was a little startled by Blaise Zabini walking up to her.

"Wanna dance?" he asked. He must have been able to read the confusion on Dorea's face, because he smirked. "Don't think I didn't notice how jealous you got when you saw the oldest Weasley and that Delacour chick dancing, if it could even be called that. I have my own person I'm chasing, so I figured that you would want to try and make Bill jealous at the same time I'm gonna make them jealous." he explained. Dorea couldn't help but grin and nod, accepting the outstretched hand that Blaise offered her. Making their way to the center of the dance floor their bodies began to move in time to the music, swaying and grinding at the same pace. Dorea quickly glanced over at Bill who was staring at herself and Blaise, clearly more than just a little pissed off. Fleur was glaring icily at Dorea, clearly she was able to tell what Dorea and Blaise had intended on doing.

Blaise, however, was watching Dante. In all honesty, he had been turned off from the female gender since his mother married his second step-father. Dorea was pretty and all, and also an excellent way to attract the strange boy's attention since they were childhood friends, but Blaise would happily admit that the idea of doing anything sexual with her was a complete and utter turn off. He didn't really care about that, he was just glad that he could dance with her and not worry about getting turned on and embarrassing himself halfway through the song.

The song ended and Dorea turned around, smirking at Blaise. She grabbed his face and pecked his cheek before winking.

"Just to make things more realistic." she sang, then sashayed away. Blaise grinned and shook his head. Dorea Potter was really a piece of work, that much he was sure of. Blaise walked off and was stopped by Theo.

"I thought you were gay?" he muttered so the people around them wouldn't hear. Blaise grinned.

"I am, but who says I wasn't helping Potter make the oldest Weasley jealous?" he asked. Theo shook his head, a wry grin on his face.

"Only you would come up with a plan like that. So what was in it for you?" he asked. Blaise looked at Theo with fake surprise.

"Why Theodore, I'm shocked that you would suggest such a thing!" he exclaimed with mock hurt. He quickly looked around and winked at the brown haired boy. "Between you and me, Dorea's a great way to get the person you want jealous." he said and walked away, leaving the Nott Heir amused and a little confused. Who was Blaise chasing after?

Over with Dorea, Fleur walked up to the small girl and glared down at her. Dorea looked up slightly and glard right back.

"'Ou are afteer Beell, _non_?" she asked. Dorea snorted and smirked, deciding to play with her Slytherin side.

"I know for a fact that you're after Bill, considering how you were literally attempting to eff him on the dance floor." Dorea said sweetly. Fleur huffed and puffed out her tiny chest.

"I know 'ou are after Beell because of 'ow 'ou looked oveer at heem when dancing wiz zat Slyzerin boy." she announced. Dorea crossed her legs and smirked at the quater-Veela.

"Well, this is quite the stand-off, isn't it? Lady Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell against a quarter-French Veela. I ever so wonder who will win." Dorea said sarcastically, before getting serious. "I've got an idea. An honest competition between the two of us, if you will. Winner gets Bill, loser has to back off. No Aura, potions, or any other forms of enchantments can be used to make him fall in love with either of us. Deal?" she asked, holding out her hand. She knew exactly what she was doing, she assumed the knowledge was coming from her ring. She was setting Fleur up for a magical contract, one that would drain Fleur of her magic if she broke the deal. Fleur stared at Dorea's hand for a moment before taking it.

"Deal." she said. Her eyes widened in shock and horror as their joined hands glowed a pure red for a moment before it faded. Fleur immediately took her hand back, staring at Dorea as if she were brandishing a knife. "'Ou set me up!" she declared. Dorea shrugged.

"I won't bother denying it, but I was only making the playing field fair. Besides, if you had refused," Dorea stood up and started walking over to the line up for karaoke. "I would be forced to evict you from the grounds for attempting to illegally make someone your Mate." Fleur stared at Dorea Potter's back in shock and anger. How the hell had she known what her plans were? How dare she set up a magical contract? Fleur glared at her hand. Winning Bill over would be so much more difficult now...

The MC(who was Sirius) stood on the newly constructed stage and raised his wand, letting out a loud BANG that silenced the crowd. He grinned as all eyes turned to him.

"Welcome to the first ever Karaoke Night that we will be holding during the readings! My name is Sirius Black, but you all know that." he said. In the background, Remus was shook his head at Sirius.

"Get on with it!" he shouted, making everyone laugh as Sirius flipped off his 'brother'.

"Yeah yeah, I'm on it, I'm on it. First up we have Michaela Dupont, a pretty half High Elf that is childhood friends with my goddaughter Dorea, singing," Sirius checked the card that appeared in front of him, courtesy of the magical karaoke machine that had been brought in by one of the strangers, the short female one. "What Doesn't Kill You by Kelly Clarkson!" he announced, then handed the mic to Michaela as she walked on stage. Music started in the background as those who didn't know anything about the muggle world started whispering, having never heard of the song. Michaela opened her mouth and began to sing.

**::You know the bed feels warmer  
****Sleeping here alone::**

Charlie's eyes widened as he realized exactly who this song was for. The man that tried to destroy Michaela.

**::You know I dream in colour  
****And do the things I want  
**

**You think you got the best of me  
****Think you had the last laugh  
****Bet you think that everything good is gone  
****Think you left me broken down  
****Think that I'd come running back  
****Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong**

**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
****What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
****Footsteps even lighter  
****Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone::**

People began nodding, liking the song and Michaela's singing. She was very good, much better than most of the wizarding singers now.

**::What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
****Just me, myself and I  
****What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**

**You heard that I was starting over with someone new  
****They told you I was moving on, over you  
****You didn't think that I'd come back  
****I'd come back swinging  
****You tried to break me, but you see::**

Charlie couldn't help but smile. Michaela was healing from what happened to her, even if it was slowly. All that mattered was that she was recovering.

**::What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
****What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
****Footsteps even lighter  
****Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone  
****What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
****Just me, myself and I  
****What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**

**Thanks to you I got a new thing started  
****Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted  
****Thanks to you I'm finally thinking bout me  
****You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning**

**In the end...**

**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
****What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
****Footsteps even lighter  
****Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone  
****What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
****Just me, myself and I  
****What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
****Stand a little taller  
****Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone::**

Michaela ended the song, her hand on her stomach. Cheers rang through the hall for the goth girl, making Michaela smile. She had been nervous that they wouldn't like the song. She handed the mic back to Sirius and walked off stage, shaking a little. She had stage fright for a while now, but it was getting better. Especially since there were so many people there that she couldn't make out there faces.

Several other people sang, though none as good as Michaela, when Sierra came up. She was more nervous than Michaela had been, she wasn't nearly as good at singing as Michaela was, but she was still pretty good.

"Now, Sierra Hill will be singing," Once again, Sirius read off the card the karaoke machine provided. "Come Clean by Hilary Duff!"

**::Let's go back  
****Back to the beginning  
****Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned::**

Those who grew up in the muggle world smiled. This song and its original singer were a part of their childhood.

**::Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect  
****Trying to fit a square into a circle  
****Was my life  
****I defy**

**Let the rain fall down  
****And wake my dreams  
****Let it wash away  
****My sanity  
****'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
****I wanna scream  
****Let the rain fall down  
****I'm coming clean,  
****I'm coming clean**

**I'm shedding  
****Shedding every colour  
****Trying to find a pigment of truth  
****Beneath my skin**

**'Cause different  
****Doesn't feel so different  
****And going out is better  
****Then always staying in  
****Feel the wind**

**Let the rain fall down  
****And wake my dreams  
****Let it wash away  
****My sanity  
****'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
****I wanna scream  
****Let the rain fall down  
****I'm coming clean,  
****I'm coming clean**

**I'm coming clean  
****Let the rain fall  
****Let the rain fall  
****I'm coming clean  
****Coming clean  
****Coming clean**

**Rain fall down  
****Rain fall down  
****Rain fall down  
****Rain fall down  
****Rain fall down**

**Let the rain fall down  
****And wake my dreams  
****Let it wash away  
****My sanity  
****'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
****I wanna scream  
****Let the rain fall down  
****I'm coming clean,  
****I'm coming clean::**

Sierra ended the song as the crowd applauded her. It was a good song, and easy to sing as well. Sirius walked back on stage and grinned as he saw who was next in line.

"Next we've got Bill Weasley singing," he checked the card and his grin widened. "Because You Live by Jesse McCartney! Wonder who this would be for, don't you?" he asked, recognizing the title. Michaela and Charlie, who were standing together, shook their head at Sirius' horrible sarcasm. Everyone who knew the song knew who it would be for, they didn't need him to question it. He was singing for Dorea Potter. Bill walked on the stage, only to receive cheers and wolf whistles from most of the female population. Rolling his eyes, he took the mike and the music started.

**::Staring out at the rain with a heavy heart  
****It's the end of the world in my mind  
****Then your voice pulls me back like a wake up call::**

Girls began swooning at his singing voice. He could actually sing very well.

**::I've been looking for the answer  
****Somewhere  
****I couldn't see that it was right there  
****But now I know what I didn't know**

**Because you live and breathe  
****Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help  
****Because you live, girl  
****My world has twice as many stars in the sky::**

Fleur and Dorea exchanged equally powerful glares. Which one of them was he singing for?

**::It's alright, I survived, I'm alive again  
****Cuz of you, made it through every storm  
****What is life, what's the use if you're killing time**

**I'm so glad I found an angel  
****Someone  
****Who was there when all my hopes fell  
****I wanna fly, looking in your eyes**

**Because you live and breathe  
****Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help  
****Because you live, girl  
****My world has twice as many stars in the sky**

**Because you live, I live  
****Because you live there's a reason why  
****I carry on when I lose the fight  
****I want to give what you've given me always**

**Because you live and breathe  
****Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help  
****Because you live, girl  
****My world has twice as many stars in the sky**

**Because you live and breathe  
****Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help  
****Because you live, girl  
****My world has everything I need to survive**

**Because you live, I live, I live::**

Bill finished to absolute screams and cheers from the female population at Hogwarts. Sirius walked back on stage and clapped Bill on the shoulder, grinning and taking the mic.

"Looks like most of the crowd wants to be that girl you're singing for! So who's the lucky girl?" he teased. Bill looked at Sirius as if he was insane.

"As if I'm gonna say that when I'm not even sure if she feels the same way!" he said. Sirius chuckled as Bill passed him by.

"Alright then, Mister Moody. Next we have -" At least 20 people went, most getting polite applause while a few got enthusiastic cheers. Sirius grinned when he looked at the card that appeared in front of him, turning his grin to the crowd.

"Next up, everyone, is my goddaughter and the absolutely beautiful and off-limits Dorea Potter," simply Dorea's name got pleny of cheers from the male population in the crowd. Sirius sent them all an evil glare. "I said she's off limits, boys. Touch her and I cut your hands off." The cheers vanished at the threat as the boys looked at Sirius warily. He was an ex-convict, after all, and the only person to ever escape Azkaban. It would be best for them not to mess with him. "Well, she's gonna be singing I've Only Just Begun To Fight by Natalia Druyts! Give her a round of applause everyone, 'cause she's also the last singer tonight!" Dorea walked onto the stage and took the mic from a very touchy-feely Sirius, who felt the need to glomp his goddaughter before jumping off the stage.

**::She wants me out of the action  
****She's coming hard  
****But this ain't the end of the battle  
****It's just the start::**

Fleur glared up at Dorea. She wasn't... She wouldn't... That bitch!

**::I will not fold under fire  
****I'm holding my spot  
****She waits back on the bottom  
****I'll be on top::**

The passion in Dorea's voice couldn't be mistaken. She really meant this song, every word of it.

**I've only just begun to fight  
****You ain't seen nothing yet  
****I've just begun to fight  
****To prove I'm the love of your life  
****I'm gonna kiss every doubt from your lips baby  
****I've only begun to fight ::**

Bill felt a pang of jealousy go through his chest as he listened to Dorea sing. Who was the guy she was singing to?

**::It's more than just knowing you want it  
****It's knowing how bad  
****To keep it you got to be on it  
****With all that you have  
****She thinks that she'll be the victress  
****She should think twice  
****Cause I'm in this game to the finish  
****And I won't play nice::**

Fleur glared. She was right about that, setting up that magical contract like that was a low blow to Fleur's self esteem. She couldn't believe she had fallen for that so easily.

**::I've only just begun to fight  
****You ain't seen nothing yet  
****I've just begun to fight  
****To prove I'm the love of your life  
****I'm gonna kiss every doubt from your lips baby  
****I've only begun to fight::**

Malfoy stared up at Dorea, his heart swelling. He prayed that Dorea was singing to him, hoping against hope that he was the one that she was singing to.

**::You'll find every woman you need right here  
****I won't let you forget what you got  
****Just getting hot!::**

Here Dorea began stepping side to side, clapping above her head. The crowd could only follow her lead and clap in time with her, she was so charismatic that they couldn't help it. She looked as though she belonged on that stage.

**::I've only just begun to fight  
****You ain't seen nothing yet  
****I've just begun to fight  
****To prove I'm the love of your life  
****I'm gonna kiss every doubt from your lips baby  
****I've only begun to fight**

**Don't count me out  
****I've only begun to fight  
****Don't count me out  
****I've only begun to fight::**

Dorea finished the song to cheers that surpassed everyone else's. Michaela couldn't help but grin at her friend, she was definitely coming out of the shell that she had when they were in primary. Sirius walked back on the stage and glomped his goddaughter once again, much to Dorea's clear annoyance. He snatched the mic from her and all but shoved Dorea off stage, only for him to get a boot thrown at his head.

"Ow, alright, I guess I deserved that, sorry Bambi..." he was cut off by Dorea's "YA THINK?" as she summoned her boot back. Sirius stuck his tongue out and turned back to the crowd. "That's all folks! Off to bed with the lot of you!" Everyone began to laugh as Sirius began to look serious(pun intended).

"No, Siriusly, leave."

_WHAM_!

"Ow, _Lilykins_!"

"THEN STOP IT WITH THAT STUPID PUN!"

**~O~O~O~ 3 AM - GRYFFINDOR DORMS ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was tossing back and forth in her bed, shaking from her nightmare. She shot straight up in bed, gasping for breath as she looked around. No graveyard, no Voldemort, Cedric was in his dorms, she was safe. Dorea sighed and moved over to her trunk, heading for her Dreamless Sleeping Draught. She needed it if she wanted to get another wink of sleep tonight.

**~O~O~O~ THE NEXT MORNING - 10 AM - GREAT HALL ~O~O~O~**

Everyone sat in their usual spots, this time Hermione and Ron sitting next to each other with George next to Hermione and Susan next to Ron. The two parts of the Trio looked at each other nervously, knowing what the next chapter would be about already. The challenges and the trap door.

The doors to the Great Hall slammed open as Dorea ran in, her hair messy with sleep and still in her pyjamas.

"Sorry 'bout that, didn't sleep too well last night." she said, hopping over the sofa and plopping down in between her father and Bill. She quickly grabbed a bowl of porridge and poured a bunch of honey, fruit, and sugar on it before she ate it. Luna looked dreamily up at the Staff Table.

"Now that Dorea's here, I'll read." she offered. Umbridge scowled but still levitated the book over to the odd Ravenclaw.

**~CHAPTER SIXTEEN - THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR~** she read, then looked up at everyone. "Well that doesn't sound too good, now does it?

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 7,912**

**Not the best I've ever gotten, but I have to say, pretty good for a filler. As for why Ron and Hermione are sitting next to each other, they've learned from watching Dorea get squished to death by Bill and her parents that it's best to sit with only one person that will hug you to death next to you.**

**Review Count: 374**

**SWEET JESUS WITH A CHERRY ON TOP! I FREAKIN' LOVE ALL OF YOU! SO SO SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!**

**Review Goal: 400**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE!**

**... Shit I've got History homework to work on... Bye guys!**


	19. Book 1: Chapter 16

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**Alright, so Dan, the person that OC Dan is based off of, read the story and said that I'm only focusing on OC Michaela, aka me. In case anyone else was wondering, I plan to mainly focus on one OC at a time. Philosophers Stone is mainly gonna be focused on Michaela, Chamber of Secrets on Dan, Prisoner of Azkaban on Dante, Goblet of Fire on Sierra, and Order of the Phoenix on Cat. Half-Blood Prince is gonna cover their full pasts, but I'm gonna generally ask for permission before I write those pasts because the characters aren't based of myself. For Michaela's past I already know what I'm gonna do and since I don't need to ask for permission since she is based off myself, it's easier to focus on her at the moment. Just in case anyone was wondering as to when I was focusing on who and didn't comment(cough cough Burns cough cough)**

**Honestly, I'm surprised that no one commented on Dorea being in her jamies...**

**And I find it funny - Sierra, the person the OC is based off of, wanted to be paired with Draco instead of Neville. Sorry, Sierra/se2zno, but I already made the pairing and I won't go back on it! At least you get paired with someone, Dan isn't gonna be paired with anyone!**

**Note: Michaela's studying habits are my own.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**LM Ryder: I don't know... That would definitely make for an interesting chapter to write, though. He would have to battle someone who knows how to use either a lightsaber or a sword, so he may fight Dorea... Then again, I need more hobbies for my OCs... So if he does it'll probably be Dan.**

**griffindork93: Interfering elves for the win! Heh, I already know who's gonna play a huge part in getting Dorea and Bill together, but I'll tell you this - it won't be an elf of any form. They will be entirely human, and that narrows it down to... Most of the people at Hogwarts, actually. This Ginny approves of their relationship because she knows what Michaela's gone through and how much good being with Charlie, who loves her even with her past, is for her. Book Ginny, in HBP, however, is gonna still call Michaela names (I'm thinking about having her call Michaela something derogative that has to do with elves, but it'll take me w while to figure that out...) because she doesn't want anyone to take her older brothers away from the family, which she thinks would happen if one of them were to marry someone that doesn't know the Weasleys too well. Add in the age difference with Michaela only being a few months older than Dorea and she really won't like Michaela. Ah, so you caught onto that. Everyone has Ginny playing for the Harpies when she's an adult, but I see her more in tune with either working as an Auror like Tonks or as an Unspeakable. Why thank you, would you believe me if I said I wrote that scene and everything below it in one go? I'm planning on writing a book, I have the prologue done on Wattpad. I'm gonna continue it further when I get my laptop, though, so that may take a while... Yes, finally the confrontation. And it only happened because Michaela pointed Fleur out to Dorea. Well, Dorea was almost a Slytherin, so it makes sense for her to trick someone into a contract or two. And Malfoy is still in denial. *sigh* I wonder how long it'll take for him to get out of that boat... Wait, I'm the authoress, I make that decision! Yes, you were right. And Michaela's song totally suits her, especially once you learn her history. Yeah, I think it's either our shortest or second shortest review, actually. Eventually Dorea will tell Bill what she saw in the mirror, and I have the cutest scene for how Bill reacts to it! :3 Hope you like this chapter too!**

**Lady Leaf8: Dear lady, I'm glad you loved it! I actually had a lot of fun writing it, too! Well, seeing as you liked Dorea's song so much, go thank vanillacookies99 for suggesting it! Bad thing is, I now have that song stuck in my head... Well, I'm gonna put Michaela's past into HBP, where she tells Dorea how she and Charlie met and why. Yes, yes it does! :D Really? The interlude was a little disappointing, in my opinion... Again, I set my bar so high it's difficult to write a chapter that I'm proud of. *winces* I hate writing essays... Once I get the thesis and all the evidence I need it's all easy to write for me, but they're still a pain in the ass. One question: what's the essay on? And I hope this is the pick-me-up you were awaiting! PS. Christmas break starts the 22nd and ends some time in January, I'm not sure when yet... But knowing me, I'll probably update every couple of days during the Christmas break just because I have access to the computer all day!**

**PensiveProsperity: Well you're gonna have to wait a while for them to get together, because I plan on them getting together in the second half of Chamber of Secrets. As for Bill pussy-footing around, he's nervous about what Dorea would think if he told her that he's in love with her and what others would think if they were going out because of their age difference. But yeah, I'm gonna be making people rip their hair out at how close Bill and Dorea are to confessing to each other, but fact is they won't do it until a chapter around halfway through CoS.**

**MistBlade8: Really? But it was so short and not nearly as well written as I wanted it to be... Yes, yes it is. The Michaela thing will be explained in HBP. I know, long wait, but think about it this way - I'm not forcing every detail about Michaela's life on everyone during the first book, I'm planning on spreading it out so that everyone knows Michaela better when they find out what happened to her. Well, except for Charlie and Ginny, but the latter wasn't supposed to know yet. Heh, so how many? Do you need to be around intelligent people again to regain those IQ points?**

**bloomnskyrules: Why is everyone saying it was a nice filler? I didn't find it all that good myself... In the books she will, but in the Hall and everywhere else she won't. Well, I needed someone to be paired with Dante and when I thought about Blaise's mother I thought, well, if you grew up with a mother who marries then kills off rich men, would you be all that attracted to the female gender because of that? No, you wouldn't. I was originally planning on Fred being together with Dante, but Dante and Blaise sounds like such a cute couple... Yeah, I thought so too. Trick her into thinking she's just making an agreement for the fight over Bill to be fair, but then put her magic at risk if she doesn't follow the rules that Dorea set down to make things fair for the two of them. Yeah, I know, and I think the best part was Sirius MCing. I don't think you realize how much I laughed when I saw that I wrote that, it's just something Sirius would do. Next karaoke night, however, Remus is gonna be on stage to control Sirius before he does something too stupid. Fleur's reaction - well, I'm thinking about having the Prewett Twins doing something to keep Fleur from murdering Dorea.**

**~O~O~O~**

"Now that Dorea's here, I'll read." she offered. Umbridge scowled but still levitated the book over to the odd Ravenclaw.

**~CHAPTER SIXTEEN - THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR~** she read, then looked up at everyone. "Well that doesn't sound too good, now does it?" James' eye twitched as he slowly turned to looked at Dorea.

"You guys _didn't_." he said. Dorea shrugged and swallowed her mouthful of porridge.

"We had no choice, Minnie," McGonagall huffed at how she was addressed. She couldn't hex Dorea because she was a student. "Didn't believe that someone was going to steal the Stone." James glared at McGonagall. Judging from how she took the idea of telling Dumbledore that someone was after the Stone and how she thought Snape and Filch would react, Dorea didn't have much trust in adults. Probably because no adult was there for her when she was a child and was being abused by the Dursleys. Luna coughed once before she began reading the second last chapter.

**~In years to come, Dorea would never quite remember how she had managed to get through his exams when she half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment.~**

Hermione gained a thoughtful look.

"I never thought of it like that... How _did_ you get through exams, anyway? I hardly ever saw you studying." she said. Dorea shrugged.

"I can't study, if I was caught studying at the Dursleys I was locked in my cupboard for a few days without food." People turned to glare at the Dursleys for once again being reminded of their behaviour and the abuse. "So I ended up developing the habit of remembering everything that we wrote down so I wouldn't have to study." Michaela nodded, while she wasn't punished for studying, she found that she couldn't focus when she was supposed to study and relied on reviewing and saying a little prayer before the test or exam to help her remember everything that she had forgotten.

**~Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.**

**It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-cheating spell.~**

"How were those tested?" a muggleborn asked. Remus and Lily snickered while Sirius and James looked bashful.

"Well, they were tested during the exams, if that's what you meant." Lily said, looking directly at her husband. Dorea looked curiously between her parents and Lily smiled. "First year exams, Bambi." Dorea huffed at the nickname but accepted the information.

**~They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across a desk.~**

"That was such a weird exam." Luna interrupted herself. Much to Umbridge's anger, everyone who had taken that exam nodded. It really didn't make sense, now that they thought about it...

**~Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers.~**

"I remember that, wasn't mine silver with garnets embedded in it?" James asked. McGonagall nodded proudly.

"Mine was gold with emeralds." Dorea smiled up at her father, who beamed down at her. Dorea most definitely had her father's talent in transfiguration.

**~Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.~**

Lily was practically breathing fire.

"The fumes will make them forget the instructions! You're purposely setting them up for failure!" she spat. Amelia Bones looked over at Snape suspiciously. Could he be the reason the amount of Potions Masters and Mistresses in Britain had dropped substantially in the past decade and a half?

**~Dorea did the best she could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in her forehead, which had been bothering her ever since her trip into the forest. Hermione thought Dorea had a bad case of exam nerves because Dorea couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Dorea kept being woken by her old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.~**

Dorea paled at the memory as everyone else shuddered, remembering what had happened the end of the last chapter. Bill squeezed Dorea's shoulder, Charlie had told him what had happened at the end of the last chapter when he had been forced to take Dorea out of the room for her to calm down. He knew that there was more to why she was so traumatized by the idea of unicorn blood than Dorea let on, but he settled for the idea of questioning her on it another day - tomorrow, maybe.

**~Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Dorea had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Dorea.~**

"We were, it's just we kept getting distracted by exams." Ron said. Dorea smiled at her 'brother'. Good to know that he was as worried as she had been, the idea of them not being concerned over Voldemort's revival had nearly driven Dorea to madness.

**~The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.~**

"You shouldn't have to." Sirius growled out. He still couldn't believe that, out of every person in the entire castle, it was Dorea, Ron, and Hermione that figured out that the Stone was in danger and actually did something about it. Three first years. Three first years out of a population of over 300 people figured out what no one bothered to see.

**~Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Dorea couldn't help cheering with the rest.**

**"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."~**

People from all over the Hall stared at Hermione in shock as Binns said, "Miss - er - Granger, was it? That's covered in third year, you only needed to learn what was being covered in first year." Hermione flushed while Dorea and the rest of the ghosts looked a little confused. When did he get there?

**~Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterwards, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.~**

"You do that too?" James and the Prewett Twins asked the three troublemakers, grinning. Fred, George, and Lee all smiled and nodded. They noticed the glares they were getting from the animal lovers not in the circle, Michaela, Charlie, Galandriel and Elront knew that giant squids loved being tickled.

"Bob likes it!" Fred and George insisted. Dorea let out a rather loud snort.

"You named him Bob?" she asked. Lee shook his head.

"His full name is Billy Bob Joe Bob the Third." he announced. Luna, noticing the odd looks the dread-locked haired boy was getting continued reading. _Billy Bob Joe Bob the Third..._

**~"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Dorea, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."~**

Hermione and Dorea both snickered as Ginny shot a glare at her older brother.

"You mean until you find out how badly you've done." she corrected. Ron shrugged.

"Poe-tae-toe, poe-tah-toe." he said shortly.

**~Dorea was busy rubbing her forehead.**

**"I wish I knew what this means!" she burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this."**

**"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.~**

The three Potters snorted.

"It's a curse scar from the Killing Curse, the only one of its kind. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't know the first thing about it." Lily said, then looked over at the Mediwitch. "No offence, of course."

**~"I'm not ill..." said Dorea. "I think it's a warning... It means danger's coming..."~**

The Trio exchanged glances. That night they had gone after the Stone, danger was, indeed, coming that day.

**~Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.~**

The Weasleys all nodded. It was a family trait, if it was too hot they couldn't really get worked up over anything.

**~"Dorea, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."~**

Dorea sent Neville a sideways glance, who immediately shook his head. No, he would _never_ play for England.

**~Dorea nodded, but she couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something she'd forgotten to do, something important.~**

"I had." Dorea said glumly, glaring down at her bowl of half-eaten porridge. Getting into this chapter had begun to ruin the appetite that she had started to get back from her summer. Bill poked her stomach.

"Eat, sweety. You need the nutrients." he said, sliding her bowl closer to her. Dorea sighed and began eating once again. At least she got to choose the serving size this time.

**~When she tried to explain this, Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."~**

Everyone snorted or snickered as Hermione flushed. George hugged Hermione tightly.

"We wouldn't want you any other way, Mia." he said simply. Hermione felt her face burn as her cheeks began to turn pink. Was it just her, or was George very touchy-feely today?

**~Dorea was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. She watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent her letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy Never But**

**Dorea suddenly jumped to her feet.~**

"I hate it when you do that, you realize that, right?" Ron asked. Seeing the questioning glance that he was getting from Susan, he grumbled out "Second year..."

**~"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.**

**"I've just thought of something," said Dorea. She had turned milky white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."~**

Everyone looked at Dorea, questioningly, while Moody's jaw dropped. He hadn't even _thought_ of that! Talk about needing _CONSTANT VIGILANCE_!

**~"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.**

**"Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Dorea, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"~**

Moody practically beamed at Dorea with pride.

"I didn't clue in on that, good thinking, girl!" he said proudly. James grinned and ruffled Dorea hair, while Michaela and Dan exchanged glances. That means whoever had given Hagrid the egg knew how to get passed Fluffy now.

**~"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Dorea, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.~**

"You're too bloody fast, you know that, right?" he asked. Michaela snickered and grinned.

"She's a bloody gazelle, is what she is." she replied. Charlie snickered and grabbed Michaela's hand, warily looking at her arms. Had she cut again last night?

**~Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.**

**"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"**

**"Yes, please," gasped Ron, but Dorea cut him off.~**

"Sorry, I didn't realize that you were that out of breath!" Dorea apologized. Ron waved it off easily.

"We know, we know. You didn't realize how much faster you were than the rest of us."

**~"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"**

**"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "He wouldn' take his cloak off."~**

"Was that in Hog's Head?" Dumbledore asked curiously. Hagrid nodded, making everyone who knew about the tavern understand. People like that were common there, it wouldn't be out of the norm to find someone with an illegal dragon egg there with a cloak covering their face. Well, the dragon egg part _would_ be abnormal, but everything else would be completely normal.

**~He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.**

**"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's one of the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."~**

"First, dragon eggs can sell for thousands and thousands of galleons. Second, he was the one after the Stone." Moody grunted. Dorea nodded and Hagrid looked horrified. _He had told the secret directly to the person after the Stone? He had thought he had just told a messenger..._

**~Dorea sank down next to a bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"~**

"Subtle, you'd be a good interrogator." Kingsley nodded. As much as Fudge would hate to admit it, it was actually very true. An 11 year old Dorea was a better interrogator than most of the ones they had in the DMLE, mainly for the people allergic to truth serums.

**~"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... So I told him... An' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... An' then I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks...~**

"And a drunk Hagrid has a loose tongue." Sirius groaned. When you were the one getting information, it was a good thing, but when you were the one that wanted the secret to remain a secret, it could be the worst thing in the world.

**~Let's see... Yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... But he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."**

**"And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Dorea asked, trying to keep her voice calm.~**

"It was." Ron and Hermione confirmed, Hagrid nodding. He had never suspected that Dorea had been interrogating him.

**~"Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -"**

**Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.~**

An expression shared with almost everyone in the Hall and the Flamels slammed their foreheads against the Staff Table. They couldn't believe that it had been that easy for Dorea to get the information she needed from Hagrid. Granted, it took a while, but apparently when Hagrid was contemplating things that had already happened he had just as loose a tongue as he did when he was drunk.

**~"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh goin'?"**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.**

**"We've got to go to Dumbledore,"~**

"You should have when you found out someone was after the Stone!" Bill said. Dorea blushed and looked down.

"... We didn't know where his office was..." she said. James eyed his daughter curiously.

"Proud or disappointed?" he asked. Dorea smirked at him.

"Never got caught except for the Norbert Escapade." she supplied. James grinned.

"Proud it is then."

**~said Dorea. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him.~**

"Of course I would have." Firenze confirmed.

**~Where's Dumbledore's office?"~**

"See?" Dorea said. Sirius and Remus grinned at their pup/cub.

"We are so proud of you." they chorused. Dorea felt a few kilos lighter at the fact that her father, godfather, and pack leader were all proud of her.

**~They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.~**

The Weasley Twins and Lee looked upset. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"You were back playing with Billy Bob Joe Bob the Third, remember?" she asked. The three priorly mentioned flushed and nodded. That would make sense as to why they hadn't been asked as to where Dumbledore's office was.

**~"We'll just have to -" Dorea began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.**

**"What are you three doing inside?"**

**It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.**

**"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Dorea and Ron thought.~**

"Really?" she asked. Dorea and Ron smiled.

"Really."

**~"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do.~**

"What with those pranks Dorea had pulled with either you two or the Weasley Twins of course I was suspicious." McGonagall huffed. Dorea blinked innocently.

"How would you know if I was an accomplice or not? As I recall, those pranks never has anything that said anything that even related to myself." she provided. Daphne snickered and smirked at Dorea.

"I see why you were almost in Slytherin now. Very cunning answer right there, Lady Potter." she said. Dorea smirked at Daphne.

"You can just call me Potter, you know." Daphne smiled at Dorea.

"Very well, Potter."

**~"Why?"**

**Dorea swallowed - now what?**

**"It's sort of secret," she said, but she wished at once she hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.~**

"How does she notice these things?" McGonagall murmured to Flitwick. The tiny professor shrugged.

"Search me, she just does. Probably has to do with looking for warning signs from the Dursleys." he offered. McGonagall glowered and glared at Vernon Dursley, who had turned puce a while ago from being silenced by Dumbledore. Apparently the spell hadn't worn off yet.

**~"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."~**

"That was the letter you saw." Lily said at once. Dorea nodded, it had been the only letter in that time span that she had scene.

**~"He's _gone_?" said Dorea frantically. "_Now_?"**

**"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -"**

**"But this is important."**

**"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"~**

"Yes." everyone in the Circle deadpanned. McGonagall winced, and she hadn't believed Dorea... Oh Merlin, she had completely failed her Cub that year...

**~"Look," said Dorea, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor - it's about the Philosopher's Stone -"**

**Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.~**

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, amused, while everyone else looked at her in shock. She huffed.

"First of all, they weren't supposed to know about the Stone. Second, she said it out of practically no where. You try having that said to you and see how you react." she explained. Luna hummed in agreement, most people would react the exact same way McGonagall had. She continued reading, directing the attention off of the now uncomfortable McGonagall to herself.

**~"How do you know -?" she spluttered.**

**"Professor, I think - I know - that Sn- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."**

**She eyed her with a mixture of shock and suspicion.**

**"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."~**

The Trio and the Flamels snorted. Three first years got through the defences. That wasn't exactly what they would call_ well protected_.

**~"But Professor -"**

**"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."**

**But they didn't.~**

"Because you didn't know what you were talking about. Those defences were nothing to Voldemort." Hermione said, just slightly arrogant. She did have the right to it, though, seeing as it had been the Trio working together that had defeated all of the defences and got to the Stone. Well, except for Dumbledore's protection. Dorea had gotten through that one all on her own.

**~"It's tonight," said Dorea, once she was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."~**

"We were." Fudge willingly admitted. Umbridge glared at the ground - so _that's_ why Dumbledore had looked so panicked when she had told him that no such letter had been sent.

**~"But what can we -"**

**Hermione gasped. Dorea and Ron wheeled round, expecting the worst.**

**Snape was standing there.**

**"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.~**

"Well, technically he either says things smoothly, sneers, or he snaps. There have been the few occasions where he shouted, but other than that he only speaks three ways." Neville corrected. Dorea shrugged.

"Well he usually snaps at me, so yeah." she said. Neville nodded, Dorea did have a point there.

**~They stared at him.**

**"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.**

**"We were -" Dorea began, without any idea what she was going to say.**

**"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"~**

"If I was up to something, he probably would've gotten a confession outta me." Dorea chuckled. Lily, however, was glaring at her childhood friend-turned-Death Eater.

"That was below the belt and you know it, Snivellus." she spat. People stared at Snape in shock as he actually winced visibly and shuddered under Lily's glare. They couldn't see it, but her eyes were the same Killing Curse green that Dorea's would turn when she was angry.

**~Dorea flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.**

**"Be warned, Potter - any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."~**

Hermione gasped.

"Dorea, I didn't know you were _expelled_!" she exclaimed in mock shock. Dorea held up her hands in guilt.

"You caught me, I've been expelled since the end of first year." she joked. Bill chuckled and hugged Dorea, resting his chin on the top of her head. "So do I have to leave now?" she asked. Dumbledore chuckled, eyes twinkling wildly.

"No, you do not have to leave, Dorea." he said. Fudge glared at Dumbledore - so he was on first name basis with Lady Potter, was he?

**~He strode off in the direction of the staff room.**

**Out on the stone steps, Dorea turned to the others.**

**"Right, here's what we've got to do," she whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."**

**"Why me?"**

**"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong '"~**

"My voice isn't that high, Ronald!" Ron jumped and stared at Hermione. She looked just as shocked as he did.

"How did you -?" he started, only to top when he heard snickers. He turned to see Bill, Lily, the Marauders, and Dorea all chuckling.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Dorea asked in Hermione's voice. Ron grinned and leaned forward.

"Do mum." he demanded. Dorea grinned and looked at those around her.

"Cover your ears, this is gonna be loud." she warned. Bill slapped his hands over his ears right away, while the others slowly covered their ears. Dorea cleared her throat once, narrowed her eyes in concentration, and bellowed:

"_RONALD_ _WEASLEY_!" everyone jumped at how uncannily Dorea sounded like Molly Weasley. "HOW _DARE_ YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM _ABSOLUTELY_ _DISGUSTED_!" Dorea coughed, ending the routine. Hermione smirked.

"Do Snape." she commanded. Dorea grinned and sneered, getting completely into character.

"Be warned, Potter - any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you." she recited, sounding exactly like Snape. Peeves cackled and floated down in front of Dorea, plopping his hat on her head once again. The orange hat clashed horribly with Dorea's neon green pyjama bottoms.

"Do the Baron." he requested. Dorea's grin turned wicked as she remembered the last time she had done that impression.

"The Bloody Baron has his reasons for being invisible, Peeves." she said hoarsely, mimicking the Slytherin Ghost perfectly. Michaela clapped her hands and grinned.

"Do Mrs. McMillon!" she said, referring to one of their primary teachers. Dorea cleared her throat and folded her hands. Dan shuddered at how much she resembled the elderly woman.

"Dear me, dear me - what do we have here? 6 children inside without permission?" she asked, her voice high, but nearly as sickly sweet as Umbridge's. All of the misfits shuddered at the memory of the strict teacher - she had called all their families when she found them in the library during one of their recesses. Umbridge cleared her throat and glared at Dorea.

"As _entertaining_," Umbridge sneered at the word. "As this all is, I think we should continue reading." Luna rolled her eyes and continued where she left off. She was going to request that Dorea mimic a nargle... Maybe later, then!

**~"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.**

**"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Dorea told Ron. "Come on."**

**But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.**

**"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!"~**

"We were and still are." the Trio said as one. All the teachers that protected the Stone flushed at the implications that three first years were able to get passed all the protections without too much damage.

**~she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"~**

"After what you did to them the first time 'round?" James shouted, enraged at how unfair McGonagall was towards his daughter during her first year. "Are you bloody kidding me? All they were doing was standing near the door!" McGonagall was clearly attempting to become one with her chair at the dressing down she was receiving from her star pupil. James sunk into his chair and clung to Dorea, grumbling all the while about unfair professors.

**~Dorea and Ron went back to the common room. Dorea had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.**

**"I'm sorry, Dorea!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."~**

Flitwick looked as though a long unanswered question had just been brought up.

"So that's why you disappeared. I had been so confused..." he squeaked.

**~"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Dorea said.**

**The other two stared at her. She was pale and her eyes were glittering.~**

Everyone who recognized that look flinched. Dorea was about to do something reckless and dangerous... _Very_ dangerous...

**~"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."~**

"It's official." Bill said, wrapping his arms around Dorea. She pouted at the fact that she was literally being squished between her father and the man she was in love with. "You're bonkers." Dorea glared at the redhead.

"AM _NOT_!" she shouted. James and Bill both flinched at the loud noise being almost directly beneath their ears. James sent his daughter a half-hearted glare.

"Don't shout." he scolded before joining Bill in snuggling up to Dorea. Ron and Hermione snickered at the exasperated look on Dorea's face.

**~"You're mad!" said Ron.**

**"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"~**

"And here comes the speech that convinced Hermione and I to join Dorea in all her adventures." Ron commentated. Dorea's head snapped up to look at the two.

"It did _what_ now?" she asked over Bill's laughter. "No! _No_! I'm not risking the two of you like that! _No_!" Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron shook his head.

"When Hermione and I agreed to go with you in first year we meant it, Dorea. We're sticking by your side in this until the end." he explained. Dorea's eyes narrowed.

"_No_! Voldemort," she ignored the flinches that went through the Hall. "Wants me, and if he finds out that you two are with me he'll do everything in his power to kidnap or even _kill_ you! I don't want to lose more family, _dammit_!" Dorea shouted at them. Bill snuggled even closer to Dorea, wiping the tears that had begun to fall.

"You won't, I promise you that." he whispered and kissed Dorea's scar again. "You won't lose anyone. That's why these books were sent back. To help us defeat Voldemort before he kills more innocents." Dorea rested her head on Bill's shoulder. She could only pray that Voldemort would never find out how she feels for Bill...

Fleur, almost directly across from the two, glared at Dorea. So that was why she had set up that contract, she knew that she had a better chance of winning over Bill because of how much closer the two of them are.

**~"SO WHAT,"~**

Everyone jumped as Luna shouted that. She blinked owlishly.

"It was in capitals." she said simply before turning back to the book.

**~Dorea shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, and it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm _never_ going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight, and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, _remember_?"~**

Everyone whistled, impressed with her speech. Bill snuggled even closer with Dorea, feeling the heat from her growing blush against his cheek.

"You've won me over. The three of you aren't going anywhere without me from now on." he whispered. Dorea whimpered at she felt Bill's breath against her neck - she was going to need a shower soon if he kept this up.

**~She glared at them.~**

Everyone who had been on the receiving end of Dorea's glares winced and looked at the other two parts of the Golden Trio sympathetically.

**~You're right, Dorea." said Hermione in a small voice.~**

"Of course it was small, you were terrifying!" Hermione muttered. George chuckled and looked at Hermione oddly.

"How does no one ever hear this?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.

"We get lucky in that sense, I guess." she said, actually really unsure about that. She wasn't really sure how they talked about this without getting overheard, especially with Dorea's yelling. There had been some seventh years in the corner, but they didn't even stop to look at Dorea when she yelled... Then it hit Hermione. "It might have to do with Dorea being Hogwarts' Champion, now that I think about it." George nodded. That would definitely make sense then.

**~"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Dorea. "It's just lucky I got it back."**

**"But will it cover all three of us?" said Ron.**

**"All - all three of us?"~**

"How thick were you to think they would actually let you do that alone?" Bill murmured. Dorea smiled and nuzzled up to Bill.

"Pretty thick, then." she whispered back. James watched the two and smiled. They were so close to getting together, just a few more days and they would end up together... If someone didn't interfere. Then it may be tomorrow or next week is someone did.

**~"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"~**

"I did."

**~"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful "~**

"It's a good thing you did, Hermione, or we wouldn't have made it past the second protection." Dorea said loudly, making everyone who had started to snicker stop. Wait - all of them had almost _died_? When did _this_ happen?

**~"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."**

**"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."~**

Lily looked at Dorea.

"What did you get on your exams?" she asked. Dorea sighed and looked down at her lap.

"Transfiguration - 98%. Charms - 105%. Herbology - 95%. History of Magic - surprisingly, 89%. Potions, 62%. Astronomy - 110%, highest mark in the class. Defense Against the Dark Arts - 115%, highest mark in the class." she supplied. No one could argue with her marks, her Potions mark had probably been brought down because of Snape's bias, but other than that she was definitely one of the top in the year. Lily squealed and glomped Bill in her attempt to glomp Dorea.

"I am so proud of you!" she said happily. Bill looked a little uncomfortable by being glomped by Lily, and let out a sigh of relief when she let go of him. To prevent something like that from happening again Bill shifted himself and Dorea so that she was on his lap instead of beside him, and in between both her parents. He really didn't want to get glomped by Lily Potter ever again.

**~After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Dorea any more, after all.~**

All the Lions in Dorea's year and above flinched as though struck. They had had _no idea_ what had really happened... If they had at the time, would they really have treated Dorea so badly? Some even questioned if it was because she had been famous, if she had been any other first year, would they have treated her the same way that they had?

**~This was the first night she hadn't been upset by it. It had also been the first night that she returned to her dormitory and her belongings were exactly as she left them.~**

Lavender flinched visibly and shrieked as Peeves flew over to her and tore her hat off. He stuck out his tongue and ripped the hat in two.

"That's for Missy Potty!" he said, then twirled off to float above Dorea, appearing as though he was guarding her.

**~Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Dorea and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do.**

**Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.**

**"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning.~**

Lee looked apologetic, but Luna continued reading before he could say anything.

**~Dorea ran up to her and Hermione's dark dormitory. She pulled out the cloak and then her eyes fell on the flute that Hagrid had given her for Christmas. She pocketed it to use on Fluffy - she really didn't feel much like singing, not after her second year at primary school.~**

"Wait, that's _still_ bothering you?" Dan asked incredulously. "That Piers said you had the voice of an angel and started chasing you around, trying to steal a kiss?" Dorea shuddered at the memories.

"Don't you ever joke about that again. I only sing when someone forces me to." she said, glaring at Michaela. "Last night she," she pointed at the goth girl holding Charlie's hand. "Forced me to sing, so I sang." Lily pouted.

"Shame, you have your gran's voice. Mum sung as beautifully as an angel..." she said, trailing off as she remembered the lullabies that her mother would sing to her when she was a little girl. Dorea blushed and smiled shyly. She was glad that she had something else in common with her family.

**~She ran back down to the common room.**

**"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"~**

The Marauders snorted. They had been caught once because Pettigrew had done that.

**~"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.~**

"He had." Neville said simply, glaring at the frog that was in a tank on the table in front of him. Damn escape artist...

**~"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Dorea, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.**

**Neville stared at their guilty faces.**

**"You're going out again," he said.~**

"You could read us so well..." Hermione sighed. Neville snorted.

"Still can."

**~"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"~**

"Now that made it obvious that you were." Neville pointed out. Ron shrugged.

"What can we do? Hermione can't lie for the life of her." He only got whacked by Hermione and punched jokingly by Susan.

**~Dorea looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.~**

"Wasn't Snape..." Ron muttered angrily. _Damn Quirrell..._

**~"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."**

**"You don't understand," said Dorea, "this is important."~**

"It really was. Sorry 'bout that." Neville said. The Trio shook their heads.

"You were -"

"- Only doing -"

"- What you -"

"- Felt was -"

"- Right." they said. Charlie glared at them,

"Don't do that. It's like watching a bloody tennis match." he said. Dante smiled at tennis - tennis was fun to play!

**~But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.**

**"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"**

**"Neville, "Ron exploded, "Get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"~**

"_Ronald_!"

...

"He's not listening, mum."

"I can see that, Ginny."

**~"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"**

**"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."~**

"You should be able to stand up to your friends if they're doing something you think is wrong. It's even harder for people that aren't used to having friends yet to stand up to them." Remus said, speaking from experience.

**~He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.~**

"Once again..." all the Gryffindors sighed, most of them fondly, though many in annoyance. _Damn frog..._

**~"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"**

**Dorea turned to Hermione.~**

"Smart decision. I was afraid that one of you was actually gonna fight me." Neville joked, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.

**~"Do something," she said desperately.**

**Hermione stepped forward.**

**"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."~**

"I still am." Hermione muttered. Neville smiled.

"I got over it the moment you cast the spell." he reassured her. Sierra felt a little jealous at the interractions between the two of them, and she couldn't explain why. _Maybe she was just fond of Neville...?_

**~She raised her wand.**

**"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.**

**Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.~**

Moody nodded. Full Body Bind, it wouldn't hurt Neville but it would get him out of their way. And they didn't know how to Stun yet, so it was the best choice for them, especially seeing as how he wouldn't be able to scream for help since his jaw was clamped shut.

**~Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.~**

Michaela looked at Neville in confusion.

"How scary is that?" she asked. Neville shuddered.

"They could have done anything to me, they could have drowned me," People flinched. "Buried me alive..." Sierra shuddered at the thought. "They could have stripped me down to my pants_**(A/N: British term for underwear)**_, painted me multiple colours, and then hung me from the Great Hall doors... There were a lot of things that they could have done to me and I would be awake for all of it. So yeah, I was pretty scared." he explained. He noticed that Michaela didn't look completely convinced, so he added in, "They could have left me in a spider nest." and watched with a strange interest as she wiggled around in her seat, brushing off imaginary spiders. She was terrified of spiders, truly terrified of them.

**~"What've you done to him?" Dorea whispered in horror, thinking of the things Dudley's gang would have done to her if they had her in a position like that.~**

All the misfits shuddered in horror, understanding exactly what Neville meant earlier. Who needed to Stun and _Ennervate_ when you could use a body bind and torture someone like that?

**~"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."**

**"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Dorea.**

**"You'll understand later, Neville,"~**

"I didn't until this book, guys." Neville laughed at the sheepish looks on the Trio's faces.

"Sorry Nev..."

**~said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.**

**But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.**

**"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Dorea's ear,~**

Filch glared at Ron for suggesting that.

**~but Dorea shook her head, not wanting to attract attention from the dusty old cat.**

**As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamp like eyes on them, but didn't do anything.**

**They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.**

**"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"~**

Peeves cackled and patted Dorea's capped head, grinning as the bells rang through the Hall. Ron's jaw dropped, remembering that Peeves taught Dorea how to make her impressions. He - he _purposely_ let them go?

**~He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.**

**"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."**

**Dorea had a sudden idea.**

**"Peeves," she said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."~**

Jaws dropped at Dorea as Fred waved his arms around.

"He'll recognize your impression, you idiot!" he said. Dorea and Peeves sprouted identical grins that promised chaos, havoc, and mass destruction.

"_Exactly_."

**~Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs, looking at the spot that Dorea was standing in with recognition and expectation. Dorea couldn't help but grin - Peeves would go along with it and let her off. At least this once.**

**"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."**

**"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Dorea. "Stay away from this place tonight."**

**"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you." He let out a sly wink and bounced off, humming a merry tune.~**

Ron and Hermione stared at Dorea and Peeves, both of who were fist bumping, in shock. All they had to do was have Dorea with them and Peeves would let them off if they were sneaking around at night?

**~"Brilliant, Dorea!" whispered Ron in awe.~**

People began to cheer in agreement, much to Umbridge's anger. These books were supposed to turn everyone against Dorea, the strangers had promised her that they would!

**~A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor and the door was already ajar.**

**"Well, there you are," Dorea said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."**

**Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Dorea turned to the other two.**

**"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," she said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."**

**"Don't be stupid," said Ron.**

**"We're coming," said Hermione.~**

Firenze and Erador smiled at the Trio.

"Three bonded under the Red Star will always stand by each other when it matters, no matter how they act." Erador said mysteriously. Hermione turned to Luna for a translation, since she was the only one who could. Luna smiled mystically.

"No matter what happens between the three of you, you will always stick together at heart." she said dreamily. "That sounds so nice, having such loyal friends..." Ginny smiled and hugged Luna.

"And now you have them too." she said finally, making Luna's smile grow into a grin. She turned back to the book, reading more enthusiastically than she had been before.

**~Dorea slowly pushed the door open.**

**As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**

**"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**

**"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."**

**"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Dorea. "Well, here goes "**

**She put Hagrid's flute to her lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune,~**

"Not really a tune? It was one note!" Hermione corrected. Dorea shrugged.

"I stand by my statement."

**~but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Dorea hardly drew any breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.~**

"If he wasn't so big it would've been cute." Dorea said simply as she saw the dreamy looks on Michaela's and Charlie's faces.

**~"Keep playing," Ron warned Dorea as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.**

**"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"~**

"How chivalrous." Blaise drawled, rolling his eyes.

**~"No, I don't!"~**

"Dorea goes first, doesn't she?" Sirius asked, his eyes closed. He really didn't want an answer, but he could practically feel Ron and Hermione nod, saying yes, she had gone first.

**~"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.**

**"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.**

**"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."~**

Sprout gulped and looked anxiously at Hermione. The girl was second her in class, while Dorea was third... Surely one of them recognized the Devils Snare for what it was?

**~Dorea, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at herself.~**

Lily and James each grabbed one of Dorea's arms while Molly squeezed Arthur's hand tightly. They knew that they got out of this alright, seeing as how they were all in the room with them right now, completely fine.

**~"You want to go first? Are you sure?"~**

"So concerned..." Molly whispered. Ron had the right to be, seeing as how there were defences for the Stone and they had no idea what was down there.

**~said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."~**

Ron snorted.

"Hermione's tune was only a little better than yours, she at least played more than one note." he commented. Dorea grinned.

"You've never heard me play for Hedwig, have you?" she asked. Ron shook his head and Dorea's grin widened. "I kept it to one note because I didn't know how much I would be walking around, Ron. If I had to walk while playing I didn't want to mess up the song I would be playing."

**~Dorea handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, Fluffy growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play again, he fell back into his deep sleep.**

**Dorea climbed over Fluffy and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.~**

"That's not very good, little missy." Bill muttered. Dorea glared at him.

"Once again, I am not little!" she growled. Bill smirked at the noise, getting Dorea riled up was so much fun.

**~She lowered herself through the hole until she was hanging on by her fingertips. Then she looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"~**

"You should've done that to begin with." Madam Pomfrey sighed. Dorea had almost _died_ because she went down there...

**~"Right," said Ron nervously.**

**"See you in a minute, I hope..."~**

"Don't get negative, if you become negative something bad will happen." Luna said. Dorea snorted.

"Something bad _always_ happens."

**~And Dorea let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down, down, down and~**

**People began to lean forward in anticipation.**

**~FLUMP.~**

"Well, it was better than SPLAT." Neville chuckled anxiously.

**~With a funny, muffle sort of thump she landed on something soft. She sat up and gelt around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.~**

_Dark... Cold... Damp..._ Neville' eyes widened in horror.

"GET OUT OF THERE _NOW_!" he shouted, causing everyone to jump. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"It's a book, Nev." she deadpanned. Neville blushed but looked at Dorea.

"Hermione?" he asked. Ron and Dorea nodded.

"Hermione." they chorused.

**~Dorea felt as though she should be remembering something about this plant, but she just couldn't think of it at the moment with her blood pounding in her ears and the adrenaline from the jump flowing through her veins.~**

Sprout looked worried. _Dorea __**didn't**..._

**~"It's okay!" she called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"**

**Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Dorea.**

**"What's this stuff?" were his first words.**

**"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall.~**

"Adrenaline got to me."

**~Come on, Hermione!"**

**The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Dorea's other side.**

**"We must be miles under the school," she said.**

**"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.**

**"_Lucky_!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. Dorea's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she had landed on. _Devils Snare._~**

Many gasped in horror and the first years looked confused. Dorea looked at them and decided to fill them in.

"It's a plant that'll strangle you." she said shortly. Bill bonked Dorea on the head for saying that like it was a cloud formation.

"You were caught in one, don't act like it's nothing!" he scolded before turning back to Luna. "Read." he commanded. Luna did a little salute before doing what she was told.

**~As for Dorea and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as her two friends fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.**

**"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"**

**"No duh, Hermi'ne!" Dorea gasped as she tore one cord away from her neck.~**

Lily and James' grips on Dorea's arms grew tighter and Sprout began to eat her hat in worry. _Hermione got out, she should be able to help out..._ _They made it through this... They made it through this..._

**~"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.**

**"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.**

**"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Dorea gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around her chest.~**

Bill squeezed Dorea tightly and pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross-legged, Dorea nestled in between them. He bent forwards and buried his head in Dorea's neck, making the ravenette flush and look away. Dammit, he just _had_ to breath on her neck, didn't he?

**~"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare Oh, what did Professor Sprout say? - It likes the dark and the damp..."**

**"So light a fire!" Dorea choked out.~**

All those who knew about the plant nodded in approval.

**~"Yes - of course - but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.~**

"I WAS PANICKING PEOPLE!" Hermione shouted when she saw the disbelieving stares she was getting. "My best, and first, friends were being strangled by the Devils Snare, and I had barely gotten away from it myself. What would you have done?"

**~"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"~**

"Ron..." Molly muttered, but she let it slip. Ron was being strangled and Hermione was panicking, he was allowed to be rude in that sort of situation.

**~"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two first years felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.**

**"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Dorea as she joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off her face.~**

Sprout raised an eyebrow at Dorea, who shrugged.

"We never handled Devils Snare and you only mention it at the beginning of the year. I only recognized it because it was attempting to strangle me." she explained.

Luna continued.

**~"Yeah," said Ron, rubbing his right thigh. "And lucky Dorea doesn't lose her head in a crisis -~**

"That is a good thing, considering the following years." Dorea said thoughtfully. Everyone that heard her groaned.

"How many times have you almost been killed at Hogwarts?" Bill asked. Dorea looked thoughtful.

"Minus Quidditch accidents? Let's see... So far three ti-" Madam Pomfrey cut her off.

"Four, Lady Potter." she said. The Trio's eyes widened and Ron stared at Madam Pomfrey in shock.

"W-_What_? But you said..." he stammered, referring to the end of their first year. Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"I didn't want to worry you two. Until the second day when her condition stabilized, I wasn't sure if she was going to make it or not." she said, revealing a secret that she had kept hidden for years now. Hermione had burst into tears and was hugging Ron, who looked as though someone had just murdered his puppy right in front of them. They had almost lost Dorea so early...

"Please continue, Ms. Lovegood." Dumbledore said, but everyone could see how shaken he was by the news. He looked over at Perenelle and Nicholas, both of which looked as though they were about to have a heart attack. He didn't blame them, Poppy hadn't even told himself that bit of information.

**~'there's no wood,' honestly."**

**"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.**

**All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Dorea was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, she remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon - Norbert had been bad enough ~**

Dorea shuddered. The First Task had been the hardest and most dangerous of them all... Up until the graveyard, that was.

The other Champions had the same looks on their faces that Dorea had.

**~"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.**

**Dorea listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.~**

Flitwick smiled. His challenge was the only one where death wasn't a factor.

**~"Do you think it's a ghost?" Hermione whispered.~**

"No, it wasn't one of us. We don't make noises like that unless we're a poltergeist." Friar John explained, looking up at Peeves, who was looking down at Dorea with a protective gaze. He treated Dorea more like she was his baby sister, now that he thought about it...

**~"I don't think... That sounds more like wings to me." Dorea whispered back.~**

James couldn't help but beam at his daughter. She really was a Seeker, through and through.

**~"There's light ahead - I can see something moving."**

**They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.~**

Mnay people got dreamy looks as they envisioned the room. Thank Merlin Dorea was so descriptive... Or maybe not, considering the horrible things that Dorea must have seen as well.

**~"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.~**

Moody looked at Ron, who was comforting Hermione, a little impressed. This boy thought strategy.

**~"Probably," said Dorea. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once Well, there's no other choice I'll run."~**

"Why is it _always_ you?" Bill muttered, lifting his head a bit. Dorea snickered.

"Funny, I ask myself the same question." she muttered back, then kissed Bill's cheek. Bill then lowered his head again, and Dorea could feel Bill's Weasley blush burning against her neck.

**~She took a deep breath, covered her face with her arms, and sprinted across the room. She expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at her any second, but nothing happened. She reached the door untouched. She pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

**The other two followed her. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.~**

Moody nodded.

"People usually ignore the obvious, get those covered first." he approved.

**~"Now what?" said Ron.**

**"These birds they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.**

**They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering - _glittering_?**

**"They're not birds!" Dorea said suddenly. "They're _keys_! Winged keys - look carefully. So that must mean..." she looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. " Yes - look! Broomsticks!~**

"THERE WERE WHAT THERE?!"

Everyone jumped nearly a good meter out their seat as they stared at the furious Flitwick, standing up on his chair.

"I NEVER PLACED A SINGLE BROOMSTICK THERE!" he shouted and squeaked. Dorea's face paled horribly as she looked at the ghosts, all of whom shook their heads slowly. Hogwarts hadn't put those there. Dorea suddenly felt very faint.

"He set it up... He _knew_ I would come... He _wanted_ me there... _He set it up_..." she muttered, then collapsed against Bill in a dead faint. Lily and James helped Bill rearrange Dorea so she was sitting almost as though Bill was carrying her bridal style in Bill's lap. Everyone exchanged worried glances, especially those who knew who had been in that room. What had Voldemort done to Dorea that caused her to faint at the idea of him doing that?

Luna looked around and continued reading, attracting near everyone's attention. Bill was still more focused on Dorea, praying that nothing too bad had happened to her.

**~We've got to catch the key to the door!"~**

"That just makes it perfect for Dorea..." Dumbledore muttered. Voldemort and Quirrell had set everything up from the beginning...

**~"But there are hundreds of them!"**

**Ron examined the lock on the door.**

**"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."~**

"The 3 of you would make a killer Auror team." Kingsley stated. The other Aurors and ex-Auror in the room nodded in agreement, and this was only during their first year. Hermione was the brains, Ron was the strategist, and Dorea was the main fighter and leader.

**~They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.**

**Not for nothing, though, was Dorea the youngest Seeker in a century.~**

"True that." the Gryffindor Quidditch team said, but they sent Dorea worried glances ever minute or so. What had caused her to faint?

**~She had a knack for spotting things other people didn't.~**

"We all know that by now." Dan said simply. The other misfits nodded in agreement to his statement.

**~After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, she noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.~**

Everyone suddenly looked impressed at the unconscious girl. They could only imagine how hard that was to do.

**~"That one!" she called to the others. "That big one - there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."**

**Ron went speeding in the direction Dorea was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.~**

All the Weasleys made muffled noises of worry as they looked at Ron. _High ceiling, nearly fell, stone floor..._

**~"We've got to close in on it!" Dorea called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above - Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"~**

"She's a good planner in mid-battle, too..." Moody mutter under his breath, his magical eye stuck on Dorea. There were very few things that a dark wizard could do to a warrioress like Dorea that would make her faint... Moody just prayed that she hadn't been raped... _**(A/N: NO DOREA WAS NOT RAPED!)**_

**~Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Dorea streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Dorea leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.~**

"He must've heard us..." Hermione whispered, still distraught over the fact that Dorea nearly died in the Hospital Wing after saving the Stone.

**~They landed quickly, and Dorea ran to the door, the key struggling in her hand. She rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.**

**"Ready?" Dorea asked the other two, her hand on the door handle. They nodded. She pulled the door open.**

**The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.**

**They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Dorea, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.~**

Everyone who played chess shuddered. The idea of facing that at 11/12 years old was very intimidating... Fortunately, Ron was a genius when it came to playing chess.

**~"Now what do we do?" Dorea whispered. She was rubbish at chess.**

**"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door.**

**"How?" said Hermione nervously.**

**"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."**

**He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.~**

"It's wizard's chess..." Charlie muttered fearfully, looking at Ron with worry. Hopefully Ron wouldn't sacrifice himself...

**~"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.**

**"This needs thinking about " he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces "**

**Dorea and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -"~**

"You're only the best at Hogwarts, Ron." Fred said, rolling his eyes. No one was fooled, though, since his knuckles were white from the grip he had on the table ledge.

**~"We're not offended," said Dorea quickly. "Just tell us what to do."**

**"Well, Dorea, you take the place of the queen,~**

"The strongest piece in the game." Ron whispered. "Just like Dorea..."

**~and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle."**

**"What about you?"~**

"He'll be a knight." the Weasley all said as one. Dorea as the Queen, one of the most powerful pieces on the board and one of the most precious as well. Ron as the knight, the odd one and the more loyal one. Hermione as the castle, the straightforward and thoughtful one. Their positions truly represented their positions.

**~"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron confidently.~**

All the Weasleys nodded. They were in Ron's territory now.

**~The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, the queen, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Dorea, Ron, and Hermione took.**

**"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes look "**

**A white pawn had moved forward two squares.**

**Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Dorea's knees were trembling. What if they lost?~**

"The game will reset itself and you play again." McGonagall said simply.

**~"Dorea - move diagonally four squares to the right."**

**Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken.**

**The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.~**

People gulped and looked at the Trio with worried eyes. Hopefully none of them got taken in the game...

**~"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."**

**Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Dorea and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.~**

McGonagall looked at Ron curiously.

"Mister Weasley, perhaps after today's reading you and I could play a game of chess?" she asked. Ron was pratically beaming as he nodded enthusiastically. He loved chess. Especially against good opponents.

Lily gripped her seat on the sofa. At Christmas Ron's chess pieces were battered... Ron knew he had to make sacrifices to win the game... But would he sacrifice one of the three of them?

**~"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think - let me think "**

**The white queen turned her blank face toward him.**

**"Yes " said Ron softly, "It's the only way I've got to be taken."~**

"_NO_!" all the Weasleys shouted in horror. Ron shrugged them off.

"The worst I got was a concussion, that's it." he said shortly. McGonagall looked frozen in her seat. One of her Cubs had been taken...

**~"_NO_!" Dorea and Herione both shouted.~**

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

**~"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I make my move and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Dorea!"**

**"But -"**

**"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"**

**"Ron -"**

**"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"**

**There was no alternative.**

**"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."~**

"The board would have reset itself." McGonagall whispered in horror. Perenelle was shaking. An 11 year old had been willing to sacrifice himself to save the Stone, and apparently he wasn't nearly as noble as Dorea was... Dorea couldn't have nearly died... Could she have?

**~He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.**

**Shaking, Dorea moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Dorea's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, because they knew if they had they wouldn't be able to leave him, Dorea and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.**

**"What if he's -?"**

**"He'll be all right," said Dorea, trying to convince herself. "What do you reckon's next?"**

**"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, Snape's, and Dumbledore's."**

**They had reached another door.**

**"All right?" Dorea whispered.**

**"Go on." Hermione whispered back.**

**Dorea pushed it open.**

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses.**

**Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.~**

"He took that from us..." Ron muttered in horror. They had given Quirrell a different way to get past his own troll...

**~"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Dorea whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."**

**She pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.**

**"Snape's," said Dorea. "What do we have to do?"**

**They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

**"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Dorea looked over her shoulder to read it:**

_**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

_**Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,**_

_**One among us seven will let you move ahead,**_

_**Another will transport the drinker back instead,**_

_**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

_**Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.**_

_**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**_

_**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

_**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

_**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

_**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

_**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**_

_**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

_**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

_**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

**_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._~**

"Just give me a moment..." Lily said, picturing it in her head. She took 5 minutes total. "The ones on the second left and second right are nettle wine, meaning the ones on the left and the third to the right are poison. Since the one on the right won't let them move forward, it's probably the one to that sends you back. So that means that the one in the middle is also a poison while the one of the third to the left is the potion to let you move onto the final challenge, Dumbledore's challenge." she turned to Hermione for confirmation. Hermione nodded.

"Dorea figured out which sent me back, though..." she whispered so only Ron and George could hear her.

**~Hermione let out a great sigh and Dorea, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing she felt like doing.**

**"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."**

**"But so will we, won't we?"~**

"But Dorea's great at riddles..." Dan muttered, confused. Michaela shrugged.

"She's pessimistic, remember?" she asked. Dan nodded, understanding what Michaela meant. Dorea always saw the worst case senario first, then every other possibility.

**~"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."**

**"But how do we know which to drink?"**

**"Give me a minute."**

**Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.~**

"Took her four minute tops." Dorea mumbled, having woken up when they entered the room. Everyone jumped what felt like a mile in the air, they hadn't even noticed that Dorea had woken up. Bill pressed a hand to Dorea's forehead in concern, checking for a fever, anything that could attribute to Dorea's fainting spell.

"How are you feeling, sweety?" he asked. Perhaps her blood pressure was low? Dorea shrugged.

"As though I just collapsed, nothing too abnormal." She looked over at Luna and silently begged for the Ravenclaw to continue reading. Luna smiled and nodded, she wanted them to be distracted from Dorea herself.

**~"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire - toward the Stone."**

**Dorea looked at the tiny bottle.**

**"There's only enough there for one of us," she said. "That's hardly one swallow."**

**They looked at each other.**

**"That one will get you back through the purple flames, right?" Dorea asked, pointing to the rounded bottle at the right end of the line. Hermione nodded.~**

Snape was spluttering. _Potter had figured out half of his riddle! Not even **McGongall** could figure it out! There was **no way** that the Potter bitch could have, and so quickly too!_

**~"You drink that," said Dorea. "No, listen,~**

"Her reason was a good one, I couldn't argue it." Hermione sighed.

**~get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy - go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."~**

"You're right about that, a fully grown wizard against a first year witch. It's no contest." Bill muttered. Dorea looked away. He would think that...

**~"But Dorea - what if You-Know-Who's with him?"~**

"He was." the Trio deadpanned. Everyone in the Hall gasped in horror. Voldemort had made it into the school? But _how_?

**~"Well - I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Dorea, pointing at her scar. "I might get lucky again."~**

"Don't say that..." Lily whimpered, hugging her daughter tightly.

**~Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Dorea and threw her arms around her, holding the smaller girl tightly.**

**"_Hermione_!"**

**"Dorea - you're a great witch, you know."**

**"I'm not as good as you," said Dorea, very embarrassed, as she let go of her.**

**"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Dorea - _do_ be careful! "**

**"You drink first," said Dorea. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"~**

"I wanted to make sure we were both right." Dorea whispered. They were about to find out... They were about to find out that Voldemort didn't really want her dead...

**~"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

**"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously, nervous that they had both been mistaken.**

**"No - but it's like ice."**

**"Quick, go, before it wears off."**

**"Good luck - take care."**

**"_GO_!"**

**Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.~**

"It was very strange..." Hermione whispered. Dorea nodded in agreement. It had been.

**~Dorea took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. She turned to face the black flames.**

**"Here I come," she said, and she drained the little bottle in one gulp.**

**It was indeed as though ice was flooding her body. She put the bottle down and walked forward; she braced herself, saw the black flames licking her body, but couldn't feel them - for a moment she could see nothing but dark fire - then she was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

**There was already someone there - but it wasn't Snape.~**

"What?"

**~It wasn't even Voldemort.~**

"Who was it?" those who hadn't figured it out asked as Luna closed the book.

"That's the end of the chapter. Who wants to read next?" she asked, looking around.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15,611**

**Next chapter will be the final one for Philosopher's Stone! Then we move onto the Chamber of Secrets, everyone!**

**Review Count: 404**

**SWEET JESUS I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS! *glomps reviewers* AND BURNS, YOU HAD BETTER REVIEW THIS STORY! *shakes fist at Dan***

**Review Goal: 430**

**SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER, GUYS!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V  
**

**REVIEW THINGY IS DOWN THERE!**


	20. Book 1: Chapter 17

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**Someone asked me what glomping means - pretty much, it's a word created by fangirls that describes a running/jumping hug. Fear the glomps!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow (sorry, that's the only way it allows me to write your username...) : Well, I'm kinda amused and a little annoyed with you. I'm amused because I now have an addicted reader. But I'm annoyed because I know the feeling, where you're stuck waiting for an update on a story that you love. Hope this came out soon enough to make you happy!**

**griffindork93: Ugh, while I'm writing this I have a hHUGE histtory test tomorrow(the 7th), and I haven't even begun to review... Snape probably will be getting in legal trouble, just like how Fudge and Umbridge will, because technically, Snape's endangering Britain since to become a Healer or an Auror you need a NEWTs in Potions, and those are two major careers that are needed in Britain. Yes, yes they will, but that's because they're feelings will, in the books, begin to grow in fifth year and they'll finally get together in the seventh book. Ok, admit it, if a Marauder heard that their child didn't know where Dumbledore's office is, and found out it was because they've never been caught, they'd be pretty damn proud. Yes, I meant Moony/Remus, but that won't be covered until the third book. *dodges rotten vegetables* Yeah, I know, you're getting tired of that answer, but I don't want to give spoilers! And I'm impressed that you caught that, no one else did. Yes, Dorea will use those ventrilaquist skills in the books. When I'm not sure, but she will use them. Yes yes, Peeves taught her. Why would he do that? So Dorea can cause more mayhen than anyone else by confusing the teachers on patrol, that's why! Well, now that Bill's heard the speech, he may join after the Gringotts Break In, but for the actual Break In he's just going to work and Dorea drags him onto the dragon with her. So yeah, he eventually joins in on the Book Hunt, especially for the Hogwarts Break In and planning it. Well, come on, it's the only logical way that three first years could get through them so easily, especially Flitwick's challenge. I mean, other than using a broomstick Harry/Dorea never would have been able to get past that room, s/he wouldn't know the Summoning Charm yet, and I'm willing to bet there's an Anti-Summoning charm on the key, too. Yes, I changed the positions, because the most coveted piece in the game other than the King is the Queen, seeing as it can attack in all ways except the way the knight attacks. So Ron would put Dorea there because not only does it make her able to take down so many more pieces on the board, but because it reminds him even more if Dorea is in danger and how to get her out of it. Besides, it was poetic justice. Snape's never made sense in my eyes, either. He knew Voldemort was a halfblood and raised in the muggle world, which means he knew that Voldemort could use logic to his advantage. I mean, come on Snape! Were you trying to hand the Stone to him on a silver platter?**

**MistBlade8: Well, that most certainly would do it. There was absolutely no problem in helping you recover the lost IQ. Oh wow, that's really shocking. You actually got a headache and fever? They'll get together in the later half of the second book, probably around the Halloween/Samhain interlude. Wait, how does one melt someone? *genuinely confused***

**blomnskyrules: Why thank you! Well, she's given Bill kisses on the cheek in the past as well, and equally voluntary. Does Dorea's way of saying thank you ring a bell? Hmmm? Yes, someone do! Fleur is beginning to see how little a chance she has of stealing Bill from Dorea! Well of course people are going to be protective of Dorea, not only have they found out about her past, but she's tiny as hell! And she's supposed to be really really pretty or beautiful, depending on who you ask! Who wouldn't want to protect that? Yes, I did change some of the original chapter, but I usually do to fit the plot and Dorea's personality more. Hmmm... Someone socking Snape... Did you miss when Lily broke his nose and kneed him in the crotch? If you want you can reread that part and cackle evilly and imagine what else could do to him. The explanation for why Dorea fainted will happen in fourth year, though a hint of it will be in this chapter! Yeah, those reactions aren't gonna go down well... I actually have to change a ton in order to fit that idea...**

**~O~O~O~**

Dumbledore cleared his throat, making everyone look at him.

"Miss Lovegood, if you don't mind, I'll read." he said, looking at Dorea with concerned eyes. He would finally find out how Voldemort got into this castle, he would finally figure out what Voldemort has said to Dorea. He didn't want her to have to deal with someone else reading it, and like Umbridge had with reading about her parents' deaths, be emotionally constipated while saying it. Luna levitated the book over to Dumbledore, who opened it to the final chapter and raised an eyebrow.

**~CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE MAN WITH TWO FACES~** he said. Dorea gulped and buried herself into Bill's chest, trying to hide as best as she could. _They were going to find out, they were about to** find out...**_

**~It was Quirrell.~**

"WHAT?!" everyone who hadn't figured it out shouted. Hermione nodded.

"At the Quidditch match I bumped into him while going to set Snape on fire. That's why the jinx stopped... He purposely assigned a book without counter-jinxes and curses to us, so that we wouldn't be prepared to counter whatever he would throw at us..." she whispered, then looked at George. "You remember the snowballs at Christmas?" she asked. George nodded, sharing a confused look with Fred. "Remember that during this chapter."

**~"_You_!" Dorea gasped.**

**Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.~**

"Wait, what? What happened to his twitch?" Theo asked, confused. Ron glowered.

"It was fake." he grumbled. Fred looked angrily at the book.

"You're bloody kidding me! Do you know how difficult it was to take notes around that stutter?" he shouted Everyone that had Quirrell as their DADA professor nodded in agreement, several others shouting out against Quirrell as well. Dorea rolled her eyes at she heard the same Hufflepuff from before shout "SMITE HIM!"

"He's dead. Plain and simple." she grumbled. Bill froze and stared at Dorea in shock. _Dead_? She didn't kill him... She couldn't have killed him... _Could_ she have?

**~"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter." Dorea was shocked. His voice was nothing like it had been when he was teaching them. It was deeper, more confident...~**

"How could I have missed it before?" Dorea muttered. It was so obvious now, he had set everything over the school year up to spike her curiosity... So he could capture her for Voldemort...

**~"But I thought - Snape -"**

**"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?" He said this last bit with the innocent voice he had been using all year.~**

"You're bloody kidding me." Daphne spat, eye twitching. That stutter had pissed her off so much, and it had all been fake?

**~Dorea couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it _couldn't_.**

**"But Snape tried to kill me!"~**

"It must have been hard to process at the moment, and with Quirrell teaching us nothing about counter-jinxes we thought that Snape had been the one to jinx you broom." Hermione muttered musingly. How long had Quirrell, or Voldemort, even, been planning that one moment and everything leading up to it? Had they been played for fools the moment they stepped into Hogwarts?

**~"No, no, no. _I_ tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you.~**

Ron gave Hermione a tight squeeze as George grabbed her hand. Hermione had saved Dorea's life that day, and set Snape on fire at the same time. Win win, in their opinions.

**~Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter-curse, trying to save you."~**

"No, I'm not apologizing. We were set up from the beginning to believe it was Snape." Dorea muttered to her mother, who sent Molly, who had been staring at Dorea expectantly, a glare. Did Molly not understand that everything the Trio did that year had been _planned_ by Quirrell?

**~"Snape was trying to save me?"**

**"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really He needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular And what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."~**

"Funny, I didn't know I'm a ghost." Dorea said jokingly. Everyone couldn't help but laugh, she had helped defuse the tension in the Hall by a good amount.

**~Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thing air and wrapped themselves tightly around Dorea, pinning her arms to her sides and sticking her knees and ankles together to prevent her from moving.~**

Moody's magical eye moved a complete 360 degrees before he grunted. He used wandless, nonverbal magic and incapacitated Dorea in less than one minute. Granted, who would expect him to be capable of wandless magic to begin with?

**~"You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."**

**"_You_ let the troll in?"**

**"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls - you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there?~**

"Uh, you copied what Ron did on Halloween." Hermione said hotly. If there was one thing she hated, it was people that took credit for things other people had done. When Ron and Dorea had told Hermione what Lockhart confessed to doing for his fame, she had immediately burned the books she had bought in a bonfire with several of the upper years.

**~Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off - and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.~**

_Voldemort doesn't want me dead, though..._ Dorea thought glumly. _He wants me in his **bed**..._

**~Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."**

**It was only then that Dorea realized what was standing behind Quirrell, as she hadn't taken his eyes off of him in fear of what he would do it she did. It was the Mirror of Erised.~**

"That damn mirror again..." James muttered. He, Fred, and Sirius all really hated that mirror.

**~"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this... But he's in London... I'll be far away by the time he gets back "~**

"Or dead." the Trio chorused under their breaths.

**~All Dorea could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.~**

The Aurors and ex-Auror in the room all nodded. She can't do anything else in this situation, so keep him talking and distracted.

**~"I saw you and Snape in the forest -" she blurted out without really thinking.**

**"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me - as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side "~**

"He's _just_ like Pettigrew..." Lily growled, clinging to Dorea's arm. Quirrell had better not try anything with her daughter, or she would bring him back from the dead just to kill him herself.

**~Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.~**

"His greed shall be his downfall." Luna sang out. Everyone, including the centaurs, stared at her in confusion. Then it clicked for Dorea. It was his greed that led him to following Voldemort. It was following Voldemort that led him to having the serpentine man sticking out of the back of his head. And it was because he had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head that he was killed. Dorea nodded.

"It truly was." she replied. Luna beamed at Dorea while everyone else, including Dumbledore, had expressions ranging from slightly to very confused. Deciding that only the book could clear things up, Dumbledore continued reading.

**~"I see the Stone... I'm presenting it to my master, but where is it?"**

**Dorea struggled against the ropes binding her, but they didn't give. She had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.**

**"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."**

**"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "Heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other.~**

"And now he takes out our rivalry on you. I'm sorry about that, Bambi..." Jmaes nmuttered. Dorea shook her head.

"It's his fault, he hasn't matured enough to see that I'm not you." she said simply. James smiled at Dorea. Maybe he could tell her this weekend, that he had been just like Dudley and Malfoy combined... Maybe she would understand...

**~But he never wanted you _dead_."**

**"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing - I thought Snape was threatening you "**

**For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.**

**"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions - he is a great wizard and I am weak -"~**

"That's actually really true. If Voldemort," Dorea ignored the winces. "Wasn't an evil, sociopathic megalomaniac, then he would've done amazing things for the world." she admitted. Bill looked considerate - considering the power that Voldemort had, she was telling the truth. If he hadn't been evil, then he would've been able to do great things for the world. Wonderful and great things...

**~"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Dorea gasped, horrified that he had been so close.**

**"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me Decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me "**

**Quirrell's voice trailed away. Dorea was remembering her trip to Diagon Alley - how could she have been so stupid? She'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.~**

"You thought he was the victim. Good actor, that one." Moody grunted. He hadn't been wearing the turban back then... Was the turban some was of contacting Voldemort?

**~Quirrell cursed under his breath.**

**"I don't understand... Is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"~**

"Do and you will never get the Stone." Dumbledore said gravely.

**~Dorea's mind was racing.**

**_What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment,_ she thought_, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it - which means I'll see where it's hidden!_~**

"Excellent deduction, Dorea. Alas, that is not how the Mirror was to work." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. Dorea really was one of the brightest students he had ever seen, and he didn't mean academically intelligent. He meant common sense inteligent.

**~_But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?_**

**She tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around her knees and ankles were too tight: she tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored her.**

**He was still talking to himself.**

**"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"**

**And to Dorea's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.**

**"Use the girl... Use the girl..."~**

"No, don't use the girl. Using the girl is a bad, bad idea." Hermione said quickly, squeezing George's hand tightly. Dorea hadn't told them everything that had happened... She had never told them that Quirrell had been planning on killing her from the _beginning_...

**~Quirrell rounded on Dorea.**

**"Yes - Potter - come here."**

**He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Dorea fell off.~**

Anyone who knew anything about hostage situations slammed their heads on the table in front of them. Damn, didn't this guy know that you _don't_ release your hostage? You untie them enough to move, or put them in enough pain that they won't be able to get far even if they do escape! This guy was an _idiot_!

**~Dorea got slowly to her feet.**

**"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."**

**Dorea walked toward him.**

**_I must lie,_ she thought desperately. _I must look and lie about what I see, that's all._~**

"He knows Legilimency, Potter." Snape muttered under his breath. If only lying to the Dark Lord was that easy.

**~Quirrell moved close behind him. Dorea breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban.**

**She closed her eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.**

**She saw her reflection, pale but calm-looking. Behind her reflection was the image of the blue-eyed boy, still fully grown.~**

A Slytherin let out a wolf whistle, making everyone in the Hall chuckle. Another tension breaker.

**~The blue-eyed boy had his arm around her reflection, and smiled at her. He mouthed something to Dorea that made her cheeks turn a pale pink. Her reflection smiled at her, the same blush painting her cheeks. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. The blue-eyed boy winked and put the Stone back in her reflection's pocket - and as it did this, Dorea felt something heavy drop into her real pocket.**

**Somehow - incredibly - _she'd gotten the Stone._~**

"How...?" Lily began. Dorea shrugged.

"Later in the chapter. It was pure genius, actually." she said thoughtfully, smiling at Dumbledore. Bill leaned over so his face was right next to Dorea's.

"And what was it that my reflection mouthed, _hmmm_?" he asked. Dorea flushed from both Bill's breath on her neck and the memory. His reflection had mouthed "I love you".

"Nothing." she said quickly, refusing to look anywhere near Bill. Peeves cackled. Dorea could be a really good liar when she tried, but any other time and she's the worst liar that he's ever seen.

**~"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"**

**Dorea screwed up her Gryffindor courage.**

**"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," she invented. "I - I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."~**

"Considering how everyone had been treating you because we lost the lead for the House Cup, that's a reasonable desire." Hermione said, making everyone else fidget with guilt in their seats. They had caused that...

**~Quirrell cursed again.**

**"Get out of the way," he said.**

**As Dorea moved aside, she felt the Philosopher's Stone against her leg. Dare she make a break for it?~**

"Didn't have time."

**~But she hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.**

**"She lies... She lies..."~**

"_Fuck_!" Michaela hissed, only to get whacked by her grandmother.

"Don't make me put soap in your mouth again, young lady!" she said. Michaela shuddered - liquid soap on you tongue was absolutely horrible. She always vomitted after that.

**~"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"**

**The high voice spoke again.**

**"Let me speak to her... Face-to-face..."**

**"Master, you are not strong enough!"**

**"I have strength enough... For this..."**

**Dorea felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. She couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, she watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.**

**Dorea would have screamed, but she couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Dorea had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.~**

Everyone began to scream their heads off. Umbridge fainted, Fudge paled considerably, and Snape felt faint. The Dark Lord had heard him threaten Quirrell the way he had... Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked as though he was about to have a stroke. Voldemort had been in the castle for the entire year, and he hadn't noticed a thing. What had that turban been made of? Had it had Runes sewn into it that would mask Voldemort's presence?

Amelia Bones took note of this. If Voldemort was a wraith, then it was possible for him to have a gone through a ritual to regain a body. Dorea Potter had been telling the truth.

The Wizarding World would have to prepare for war once again.

After a good hour purely dedicated to everyone panicking, Dumbledore finally let out loud BANGs from his wand and continued reading.

**~"Dorea Potter..." it whispered.**

**Dorea tried to take a step backwards, but her legs couldn't move from her terror.**

**"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapour... I have form only when I can share another's body... But there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... You saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... And once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... Why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"**

**So he knew. Feeling suddenly surged back into Dorea's legs. She stumbled backwards a few steps.**

**"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better to save your own life and join me, as my Dark Lady... To stand by my side and have the life of a queen... Or you may just end the same way as your parents... They died begging me for mercy..."~**

"I begged for him to have mercy on my infant daughter, not for him to have mercy on myself!" Lily spat. James glared at the book. So Voldemort wanted Dorea as his Dark Lady now that she had survived his Killing Curse, had he?

**~"LIAR!" Dorea shouted suddenly, feeling hatred towards the man insulting her parents.**

**Quirrell was now walking backwards at her, so that Voldemort could still see her. The evil face was now smiling.~**

The Bulgarians started to swear rapidly in their native tongues. Not even _Grindelwald_ had been this bad!

**~"How touching..." it hissed. "I always value bravery... Yes, girl, your parents were brave... I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight... But your mother needn't have died... She was trying to protect you... Now give me the Stone, and have the painless life of luxury that she would have wanted for you... Unless, of course, you want her to have died in vain."**

**Dorea felt her willpower fade. No more pain...? No more _Dursleys_...? All if she just handed over the Stone...?~**

People stared at Dorea in shock. She had actually considered it? She had considered giving in to Voldemort? But she was Gryffindor's Golden Girl, she couldn't possibly consider it... Maybe she wasn't as perfect as they all thought... Maybe was was just like them, only forced to change as dangerous situations were thrown at her, one by one...

**~Dorea quickly shook the thoughts out of her head, remembering what she had told Ron and Hermione earlier.**

**"NEVER!"**

**Dorea sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HER!" and the next second, Dorea felt Quirrell's hand close on her wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Dorea's scar; her head felt as though it was about to split in two; she yelled, struggling with all her might, and to her immense surprise, Quirrell let go of her.~**

Everyone began to lean forward. Had Dorea done something incredible? Something only she could do?

**~The pain in her head lessened - she looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers - they were blistering and slowly turning raw before her very eyes.~**

"_Ew_." Parkinson thought aloud, speaking what went through everyone's minds.

**~"Seize her! SEIZE HER!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Dorea clean off her feet landing on top of her, both hands around Dorea's neck -**

**Dorea's scar was almost blinding her with pain, yet she could see Quirrell howling in agony.**

**"Master, I cannot hold her - my hands - my _hands_!"**

**And Quirrell, though pinning Dorea to the ground with his knees, let go of her neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms - Dorea could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny. All of the skin had been burned off, she recognized, but by what?**

**"Then capture her, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.~**

"He doesn't want you dead..." Bill whispered in horror. Dorea slowly shook his head.

"He wants me to be his wife, being dead would put a dent in those plans." she whispered back to him, breathing in his scent. There was a hint of musk-wood added into the crushed pine scent that she associated with Bill... It smelt so nice...

**~Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Dorea, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face -**

**"AAAARGH!"**

**Quirrell rolled off her, his face blistering, too, and then Dorea knew: Quirrell couldn't touch her bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain - her only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.~**

Those who had fought in the first war nodded gravely. That was all Dorea could do at that moment. She wasn't trained enough to duel him yet.

**~Dorea jumped to her feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as she could.**

**Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Dorea off - the pain in Dorea's head was building - she couldn't see - she could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "CAPTURE HER! CAPTURE HER!" and other voices, maybe in Dorea's own head, crying, "Dorea! Dorea!"~**

"No, that wasn't in your mind, Dorea." Dumbledore muttered. He had been so terrified when he saw her like that, clinging onto a dying Quirrell like her life depending on it... And it had, as a matter of fact. Even if Voldemort wanted her alive, it was clear that Quirrell wanted nothing more than to kill Dorea when she was still in her first year.

**~She felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from her grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down... Down... Down...**

**Something gold was glinting just above her. The Snitch!~**

Lily sighed while James and Sirius laughed.

"Just like your father, obsessed with Quidditch." she said. Oliver was fake-sobbing and saying how proud he was of Dorea, thinking of a Snitch the second she sees something gold flint.

**~She tried to catch it, but her arms were too heavy.**

**She blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.~**

Several girls giggled at Dorea's thoughts.

**~She blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above her. Dorea could only feel confused. When did he get there?~**

Dumbledore chuckled and smiled at the Lady Potter.

"That certainly explains why you were staring at me like that." he said before turning back to the book.

**~"Good afternoon, Dorea," said Dumbledore.**

**Dorea stared at him. Then she remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick -"**

**"Calm yourself, dear girl, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."**

**"Then who does? Sir, I -"**

**"Dorea, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."~**

Everyone laughed, just picturing that happening. Madam Pomfrey actually chuckled.

"That did happen during the Marauders' seventh year, did it not?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded, making everyone that had been laughing laugh even harder. It had happened before!

It took several minutes for everybody to calm down enough so that Dumbledore could continue reading.

**~Dorea swallowed and looked around her. She realized she must be in the hospital wing, a place she never wanted to be if she could help it.**

**She was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to her was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.~**

"It was." the Weasley Twins said together. "Most of it was from admirers, though." Dorea flushed in embarrassment and Bill saw red. _Stupid admirers, trying to steal his Dorea... Wait, when had she become **his**?_

**~"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat.~**

Ginny couldn't help but laugh, she had wondered what had happened to that. Molly scowled. She had told them specifically _not_ to blow up a toilet! James, on the other hand, grinned at the Weasley Twins.

"Thanks for trying to cheer up Bambi. And for teaching her the basics in pranking." he grinned. The Weasley Twins saluted James.

"It was no problem, Prongs sir!" they recited. James looked at Dorea in confusion. She shrugged.

"It's the twins. I gave up trying to understand them years ago." she deadpanned.

**~No doubt they thought it would amuse you.~**

"It did guys, thanks."

"Anything for our baby sister!"

Bill felt a pang of guilt. _You cant date her, she's their baby sister... It would only ruin their relationships..._

**~Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."~**

"_Awww_..." Fred and George said, looking at their feet. Dorea snickered.

"Don't worry, I stole it back. It's in my trunk right now." she said. Fred and George beamed at Dorea, she was their baby sister in all but blood and had stolen back their gift to her.

**~"How long have I been in here?"**

**"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."~**

"Of course we were... When we saw Professor Dumbledore carrying you like that..." Hermione shuddered. "You looked like a corpse, all stiff and pale, but you were shaking violently and your eyes were wide open... It was terrifying..."

**~"But sir, the Stone -"**

**"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."~**

"I hadn't told the headmaster how close to death Dorea truly had been..." Madam Pomfrey muttered to Madam Bones, who had been glaring icily at Dumbledore for what he had just read. Madam Bones calmed considerably. So that's why Dumbledore had been so calm back then.

**~"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"**

**"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."**

**"It was _you_."**

**"I feared I might be too late."**

**"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"**

**"Not the Stone, my dear girl, you - the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had.~**

Bill squeezed Dorea even tighter._ He had almost lost her that day... He had almost lost his baby girl..._

**~As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."**

**"Destroyed?" said Dorea blankly. "But your friend - Nicolas Flamel -"**

**"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You _did_ do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."**

**"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"**

**"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."**

**Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Dorea's face.~**

Nicholas and Perenelle chuckled. No, they had no intention of dying until they had found someone they could name their Heir or Heiress. Eyeing Dorea, Nicholas nodded to Perenelle. If anyone deserved the knowledge that they had accumulated over the past 6 centuries, it was her.

**~"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."~**

"So that means Perenelle and I don't have well organized minds, then?" Nicholas asked cheekily. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Your affairs are finding someone to pass your knowledge onto. They aren't settled yet, therefore you won't be wiling to pass over yet." he explained, and turned back to the book. He was only halfway through the chapter...

**~Dorea lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little tune and smiled at the ceiling.~**

Everyone who liked Dumbledore fondly shook their heads. Only Dumbledore would do that. He was the senile old man that you either hated or loved.

**~"Sir?" said Dorea. "I've been thinking Sir - even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who -"**

**"Call him Voldemort, Dorea. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."~**

Hermione glared at Dorea, who was conveniently looking anywhere but her older sister._ Stupid mantra..._

**~"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"**

**"No, Dorea, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share Not being truly alive, he cannot be killed in his current state. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies.~**

Malfoy's head snapped up at that. The Dark Lord _what_? He exchanged looks with Parkinson. Perhaps the Dark Lord wasn't the one to follow after all if he was more than willing to let his followers die for him...

**~Nevertheless, Dorea, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time - and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."~**

"Too bad _that_ didn't happen."

**~Dorea nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made her head hurt. Then she said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me Things I want to know the truth about "**

**"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."~**

"Nah, he does what I do most of the time. Twist the truth and tell half truths." Dorea grinned. Dumbledore smiled at Dorea. They understood each other more than anyone else could ever understand. They were the only ones who understood what it meant to have the weight of the world on your shoulders...

**~"Well Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"**

**Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.**

**"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day Put it from your mind for now, Dorea. When you are older I know you hate to hear this... When you are ready, you will know. Until then, you'll have to wait. I'm sorry, but you would not understand at the age you are now."~**

Lily and James' eyes twitched. So Dorea didn't know the Prophecy... Then again, if Voldemort knew Legilimency, and could get into Dorea's mind, then if she knew about the Prophecy before she knew Occlumency, then he could easily get the information from her mind.

**~And Dorea knew it would be no good to argue with him.**

**"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"**

**"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."~**

"For someone who didn't understand the sacrifice like a Potter does, that's a really good explanation." James said, impressed. He knew that his grandfather only mentioned it to Dumbledore in the passing, so for Dumbledore to figure it out that much was very impressive.

The centaurs, however, eyed Luna curiously. Could it be she was a Seer child, one that saw what was, what is, and what will be? Erador's eyes wandered over to the Oracle, to Professor Trelawny. She was not the Seer she claimed to be, oh no, she was far more important than that.

**~Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Dorea time to dry her eyes on the sheet.~**

Bill kissed Dorea's cheek, making her face burn as red as his hair. Bill smirked at the sight. So maybe she _did_ like him as back...

**~When she had found her voice again, Dorea said, "And the invisibility cloak - do you know who sent it to me?"**

**"Ah - your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful thing, it it Though your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."~**

"And our pranks. Can't forget our pranks." James smirked while Remus snickered and Sirius whooped.

**~"And there's something else "**

**"Fire away."**

**"Quirrell said Snape -"**

**"_Professor_ Snape, Dorea."**

**"Yes, him -~**

Everyone laughed at how cheeky Dorea could be. Snape, on the other hand, was gnawing on the inside of his cheek. _She's so much more like Lily than we thought she was..._

**~Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"**

**"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."**

**"What?"**

**"He saved his life."~**

"Stupid noble Potter..." Snape hissed under his breath. Sinistra rolled her eyes. When would Snape mature again? Oh, right - _NEVER_.

**~"_What_?"**

**"Yes " said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace "**

**Dorea tried to understand this but it made her head pound, so she stopped.~**

Everyone snickered. Only Dorea would do something like that.

**~"And sir, there's one more thing "**

**"Just the one?"~**

Snickers sounded at Dumbledore's cheeky question.

**~"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"**

**"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something.~**

Laughter filled the Hall as Dumbledore grinned. Like Dorea said earlier, it was rather odd, reading about a conversation you had in the past in the third person. He found it rather fun, to be honest. But that just might be him being himself.

**~You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life.~**

Nicholas nodded.

"That makes sense, actually. Quirrell wanted to use it on Voldemort," he, like Dumbledore and Dorea, ignored all the winces and flinches in the Hall. "So he would never receive it."

**~My brain surprises even me sometimes ~**

Everyone laughed heartily at that comment. Dorea nodded.

"Our brains do that to the best of us sometimes, professor." she said happily. Dumbleodre nodded in agreement with Dorea.

"Well said, Dorea."

**~Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one,~**

George looked disgusted. And he thought _booger_ tasted bad!

**~and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them - but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"**

**He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"~**

Everyone laughed and Nick shook his head.

"With the options open to people in those packages, I'm glad that we can't eat them." he said, chuckling. Dorea smiled.

"But the strawberry ones are oh-so good!" she sang. Hermione snickered.

"Yeah, but not everybody's obsessed with strawberries like you are, Dorea." she said. Bill smirked and stored the knowledge away - he knew how to bake, thank Merlin, and was planning on making something involving strawberries for Dorea now. _Maybe a cake..._

**~Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.~**

"Why thank you, Dorea."

"No problem, Madam Pomfrey."

"Dorea, with the amount of visits I get from you, just call me Poppy."

**~"Just five minutes," Dorea pleaded.**

**"Absolutely not."**

**"You let Professor Dumbledore in "**

**"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest."**

**"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey "~**

"Please, she won't budge on this one." James said. Dorea grinned wickedly, not that James noticed.

**~Dorea unleashed her secret weapon - the Kicked Puppy Eyes.~**

Dumbledore looked at Dorea curiously.

"And what do the Kicked Puppy Eyes entail?" he asked. Dorea grinned and closed her eyes, lowering her head so her bangs covered her face.

"I am so glad you asked..." she muttered, and when she raised her head again, the Kicked Puppy Eyes were in full effect. Many people had heard of the Puppy Dog eyes, but the Kicked Puppy Eyes were ten times as strong and ten times as cute. Bill could help but let out a squeal as he squeezed Dorea tighter to him, nuzzling his face against hers.

"SO _CUTE_!" he shouted. Charlie grinned at Colin, who was taking snapshots of the moment. Blackmail, anyone?

Dumbldore chuckled and turned back to the book. _How entertaining, it appears Dorea and William would start dating soon... And William had better take care of Dorea... Or else..._

**~"Oh, very well," she relented. "But five minutes only."**

**And she let Ron and Hermione in.~**

Jaws dropped as Dorea snickered.

"Kicked Puppy Eyes pown all." was all she said.

**~"_Dorea_!"**

**Hermione and Ron both looked ready to fling their arms around her, in Hermione's case again, but Dorea was glad they held themselves back, as her head was still very sore from three days ago.**

**"Oh, Dorea, we were sure you were going to - Dumbledore was so worried -"**

**"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"**

**It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumours. Dorea told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Dorea told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud in horror.~**

"Yeah, but she didn't tell us about the pain or that she had been defenceless." Hermione muttered, glaring at Dorea. Dorea refused to look Hermione in the eyes - the story had worried them enough, they didn't have to know that she had been defenceless at the time as well...

**~"So the Stone's _gone_?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to _die_?"**

**"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that - what was it? - 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"**

**"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.~**

"Why thank you, Ronald." Dumbledore said happily, humming a merry tune as he turned back to the book again.

**~"So what happened to you two?" said Dorea curiously.**

**"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round - _that _took a while - and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, 'Dorea's gone after him, hasn't she?' in this really weird voice, and hurtled off to the third floor."**

**"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"**

**"Well, " Hermione exploded, "If he did - I mean to say that's terrible - you could have been _killed_, Dorea."~**

"I didn't mean to, I was returning a family heirloom, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore explained. Hermione nodded, after seeing how everyone reacted to Snape keeping Dorea's family Grimoire from her, she didn't want to imagine how they would react to Dumbledore keeping family heirlooms from her.

**~"No, it isn't," said Dorea thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..."~**

"If he hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to save Ginny in my second year." Dorea said quickly, recognizing the look on Molly's face. The look that she got when she was about to rant about someone. Molly's mouth shut itself very quickly, if Dorea hadn't been able to get over the idea of fearing Voldemort in her first year, then her precious Ginny would be dead, the school would be closed... So many horrible things would have happened.

**~"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course - you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you - but the food'll be good."~**

"And it was." all the fifth year Gryffindors sighed, especially Neville, Ron, Hermione, and Dorea. Having everyone liking them again, no matter how shallow they thought it was of them to stay angry for so long only to be nice again once they won by risking their lives and nearly dying, had made the feast taste all the better.

**~At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.**

**"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now _OUT._" she said firmly.**

**After a good night's sleep, Dorea felt nearly back to normal.**

**"I want to go to the feast," she told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"**

**"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be.~**

"We don't prank feasts, though." the Weasley Twings complained. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes.

"Her stomach had begun to shrink, I didn't want her eating too much and tearing the organ." she explained. Dorea shifted in her seat. She had started to eat less and less because she knew that she would barely get anything at the Dursleys that summer... She had been preparing so that she wouldn't starve so badly...

**~"And you have another visitor."**

**"Oh, good," said Dorea. "Who is it?"**

**Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Dorea, took one look at her, and burst into tears.**

**"It's - all - my - ruddy - fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again!~**

"How long did that last?" Lily asked innocently. Dorea grinned.

"Third year, but in his defence, it was Malfoy's fault." she said. Everyone who hadn't known that actually looked impressed, that was a long stretch of time to not have a single drink. "And butterbeer doesn't count in that."

**~I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"~**

"I would never let that happen, Hagrid. First off, you know nothing about muggles. Second off, I'm very fond of you." Dumbledore said happily. Hagrid couldn't help but blush bright red at the praise from a man he respected so much.

**~"Hagrid!" said Dorea, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."**

**"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"**

**"VOLDEMORT!" Dorea bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying.~**

Everyone chuckled at the idea of that happening.

**~"I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads "**

**Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."**

**"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Dorea anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.~**

Hagrid chuckled again, only this time it was stronger, more confident.

**~"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'course, he shoulda sacked me instead - anyway, got yeh this "**

**It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Dorea opened it curiously. It was full of wizarding photographs. Smiling and waving at her from every page were her mother and father.~**

"So _that's_ why I got that letter..." several people muttered, thinking back to the shock they had gotten when they saw that request.

**~"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos Knew yeh didn' have any D'yeh like it?"**

**Dorea couldn't speak from her emotions clogging her throat, but Hagrid understood.~**

"It's one of my most treasured items..." she muttered. Bill smiled and buried his head in the crook of Dorea's shoulder, making the ravenette flush bright red as she felt his breath on her neck._ DAMMIT!_

**~Dorea made her way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. She had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving her one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colours of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.~**

Sirius and James gagged. Dorea chuckled. Her father didn't seem to have anything against her almost being in Slytherin, but that didn't mean he had to like the House itself.

**~When Dorea walked in there was a sudden hush,~**

Everyone who had been there winced at the memory. They had been so obvious...

**~and then everybody started talking loudly at once. She slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at her. Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.**

**"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... You have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...~**

"_Why_ must you encourage that?" Flitwick groaned. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Because I know that's what they'll do anyway."

**~"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."**

**A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Dorea could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.~**

The Slytherins in the Circle all laughed.

"Yeah, it really was." Blaise admitted, winking at Dorea. Bill felt pure rage and jealousy roar like a beast in his chest, while Dante narrowed his eyes at the action. _Was Dorea trying to get Blaise as well...?_

**~"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."**

**The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.~**

"That was a little cruel, professor. It was like giving a baby candy and then taking it away from them." Dorea scolded. Dumbledore looked down at his lap - he hadn't thought of it like that... He had just simply wanted Dorea to be happy at her last night at Hogwarts... It seemed like a good idea at the time...

That was the last time he eats cockroach clusters before a feast.

**~"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes**

**"First - to Mr. Ronald Weasley..."**

**Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.~**

"_OI_!"

"What, it was true!"

Everyone laughed at the look on Ron's face.

**~"...For the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

**Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver.**

**Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"~**

Percy couldn't help but smile at his youngest brother. He was so proud of him... Though that might include the fact that he couldn't play chess for the life of him while Ron was a chessmaster.

**~At last there was silence again.**

**"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger... For the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

**Hermione buried her face in her arms; Dorea strongly suspected she had burst into tears.~**

Dorea had a seat cushion thrown at her by Hermione, only for it to hit James and Bill instead.

**~Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves they were a hundred points up.**

**"Third - to Ms. Dorea Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "...For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."**

**The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points - exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup - if only Dumbledore had given Dorea just one more point.~**

"You planned this, didn't you?" Dorea asked, grinning. Dumbledore nodded.

"Ms. Granger had confessed what his actions earlier had been and why. What he did took outstanding courage."

**~Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.**

**"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.~**

Remus beamed at Neville in pride, his godson had the courage that he himself lacked.

**~I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."**

**Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Dorea, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.~**

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. After the first few chapters, no one liked Malfoy. Now they all took pleasure in his pain.

**~"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "We need a little change of decoration."~**

"That really was a little harsh..." Sprout said. Dumbledore nodded.

"And for that, I apologize. That is the last time I eat cockroach clusters before a feast." he swore aloud. Everyone scrunched up their faces. No wonder he was was odd, if he could actually eat those and not vomit.

**~He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile.**

**He caught Dorea's eye and Dorea knew at once that Snape's feelings toward her hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Dorea. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.~**

"More like as normal as my life will ever be." Dorea huffed. She had to admit, Hogwarts had probably been way more boring before she came.

**~It was the best evening of Dorea's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls... She would never, _ever_ forget tonight.**

**Dorea had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both she and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too.~**

Goyle looked confused. Did everyone really think he would fail? Just because he didn't say much didn't mean he was stupid.

**~It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.**

**And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly);~**

"That'll never change." everyone sighed sadly. The muggleborn first years all looked disappointed - they wanted to show their parents what they could do now!

**~Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.**

**It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.**

**"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you - I'll send you an owl."**

**"Thanks," said Dorea, "I'll need something to look forward to."~**

"I did." Dorea muttered. Michaela coughed.

"And my lovely presence isn't something to look forward to, _sweet thang_?" she saked. Dorea grinned and winked.

"Of course it is,_ doll face._" she said. Michaela blew a kiss at Dorea, who caught it and stuffed it in her pocket. Seeing the faces of everyone around them, Dorea and Michaela both fell into hysterics. Bill scowled and tickled Dorea's side, making her squeal and attempt to wiggle away from his dancing fingers. Bill smirked, wrapped an arm around her waist, and began tickling her rib cage mercilessly. When he had tickled Dorea enough, Bill wrapped his other arm around the petite girl and pulled her into a tight hug, cuddling right up to her.

**~People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:**

**"Bye, Dorea!"**

**"See you, Potter!"**

**"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at her and poking her cheek.**

**"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Dorea.~**

Everyone scowled a the reminder of where Dorea was going for the summer.

**~She, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There she is, Mum, there she is, _look_!"**

**It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.**

**"Dorea Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see -"~**

Ginny held her head in her hands in shame.

"I was such a fangirl." she muttered. Theo rubbed circles soothingly on her back.

"You aren't one now though." he muttered. Luna looked at Theo and raised an eyebrow. Did the Nott Heir have a thing for Ginny?

**~"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."**

**Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.**

**"Busy year?" she said.**

**"Very," said Dorea. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."~**

"I never expected her to thank me for them?." Molly cooed, looking over at Dorea. She and Bill ould make such wonderful children when they got married...

**~"Oh, it was nothing, dear."**

**"Ready, are you?"**

**It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still moustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Dorea, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Dorea.~**

Everyone snorted at the idea.

**~"You must be Dorea's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.**

**"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, girl, we haven't got all day." He walked away.**

**Dorea hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.**

**"See you over the summer, then."**

**"Hope you have - er - a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.~**

"I was actually shocked that he was so fat." Hermione stage whispered, making everyone that heard clutch their ribs in laughter.

**~"Oh, I will," said Dorea, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over her face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer "~**

"_Brilliant_!" all the pranksters shouted as one. Dumbledore closed the book and smiled.

"And that is the end of the last chapter. Now, who would like to read the next book?" he asked, looking around for a volunteer as lunch appeared on the tables in front of everyone.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 11,476**

**Shorter than I wanted it to be, but not extremely short. Next chapter will be the first chapter of the second book guys! Which means Bill and Dorea will be getting together in a few story days! *bows to cheers* I'm thinking about having Michaela and Charlie get together at the beginning of the third book... And now we begin to focus on the life of Squibs!**

**Review Count: 445**

**SWEET JESUS ON A HOT FUDGE SUNDAY! 445?! _445?! _*hyperventilating* I LURVE ALL OF YOU RIGHT NOW! SO SO SO SO MUCH SO! *glomps reviewers***

**Review Goal: 460**

**I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN HIT IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU~!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**So there's the review button/thingy! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER!**


	21. Book 2: Chapter 1

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC!**

**Again, Michaela is probably gonna be mentioned more in this chapter because she's neighbours with Dorea. Squib life will be more included during Hogwarts.**

**And Ilovetwilight089xxx has posted pictures of Dorea, Bill and Cat on deviantart! The links are on my bio if you want to see them! They're really good, especially since they were made on paint!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Good. And that is true, but those questions all pertain to the chapter itself and its contents, not what I'm planning on doing. Well, Dumbledore is only human, and humans can't possibly know everything there is to know. Even we have a certain amount of memory space, and once it's full old things we learned are replaced with the newer things we're learning. Sceintifically proven. James will explain to Dorea how he treated Snape during the next interlude, and I'm hoping that it'll end up being a really cute scene. Dorea is gonna be such a daddy's girl. Well, if Quirrell wanted to just conceal Voldemort's face he could have used a glamour. And since the only thing that makes the turban odd is the funny smell that it emits, I figured that there has to be something about it that kept Voldemort's presence hidden so only Quirrell knew where it was. It's also why I think that Dorea couldn't hear Voldemort threatening Quirrell, because the turban prevented anyone from being able to see or hear Moldy. That loose thread always annoyed me, so I decided to correct it. Yeah, their knowledge will be really useful for the Hunt, especially since Dorea will be going after the Horcruxes in the story as well. She'll probably become their heiress during the next interlude or two. Yes, Dumbledore is the protective grandfather that loves his granddaughter to bits. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna add in the threatening scene after Dorea and Bill get together. But you're gonna love Dumbledore's birthday gift to Dorea, he'll send it at the same time that he sends the book list. Molly and Arthur love it, and Dorea finds it amusing. You're gonna have to wait until she mentions it to Lockhart to find out what it is.**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow: Why thank you. As for how Ginny will handle the last chapter - I'm not gonna spoil that now, since we're so much closer to that now that we're starting the second book. Molly will probably flip, the Slytherins will probably laugh at Malfoy Sr.'s stupidity and congratulate Dorea on how Slytherin that was, and no, they aren't all evil. Well, in the books Malfoy seems to hate himself for being a Death Nibbler once he finds out what it really entails. As for Crabbe and Goyle having brains - well, won't it be fun when the two gorillas ditch Malfoy because he sees them as the idiots that everyone else sees them as? And no, it isn't significant, it's just that in the second movie when Malfoy says "I didn't know you could read", it kinda pissed me off that they're supposed to be his friends and he doesn't seem to think that they even have brains.**

**bloomnskyrules: Oh, uh... Thank you? And I take it as a major compliment that you consider my story addicting! Heh heh heh... Just wait for when Dumbles threatens William... Poor Bill... He's gonna get threatened by everyone, dead or alive, that cares about Dorea... Even the castle will threaten him. Yes, Mrs. Weasley is already thinking about grandchildren because, let's be honest, Dorea and Bill are the most likely to be the first to have children. Ah, yet another victim of the 'Kicked Puppy Dog Eyes'. My sister attempts to use the Puppy Dog Eyes on me, it's actually really funny when she does. I just snort and say no to whatever she's begging me to do. Then she says "You suck!" and slumps down on the sofa because she's too lazy to get up and do whatever she wanted me to do herself. Dorea will eventually become the Flamel's Heiress, mainly because she never wanted to use the Stone, even when she didn't know the side effects of the Elixir. Well, an Oracle doesn't usually make prophecies unless they could change the world, and she wouldn't be able to remember the prophecies that she says. A Seer is someone who, like Luna, can see more than anyone else and to other people seems to know far too much than they should, because they can see clips of the past, clips of what's going on in the present, and clips of what can happen, though those ones are never set in stone like Oracle prophecies are. Well, Michaela and Dorea are actually a lot closer than anyone really thinks, so there will be other moments when things like that happen. As for Lockhart - yes he will make a fool of himself, and I'm not telling you if he will or will not hit on Dorea. Well, as for that, I'm not revealing anything at present moment. I might write a different story with all these characters where they're living their lives after the books are all read and they're trying to adjust to the life that they now have, especially considering that they know how many children they'll all have and what they're names are already. Add in the plot twist that I'm planning and we're in for one hell of a ride.**

**MistBlade8: Well, you only love every single chapter. Aaaah, melting the witch of the west style. That would be annoying. Might have Michaela or Sierra do that to Dorea as a joke. If they do she'll be wearing a white shirt at the moment that she does. Don't worry, I'll be sure to complicate other pairings as well. Michaela and Charlie's for sure, since Michaela's grandparents won't approve of Charlie until... Wait, I won't spoil that plot twist. Add in that Molly hates Michaela and that itself complicates their relationship. Ginny's pairing... Sure, why not! *beams***

**917brat: I had been wondering what had happened to you... Yeah, the story had built up a lot since you last reviewed... It is? That is such a major compliment for me! Writing these kinds of stories are tough, that's for sure. She recognizes Bill earlier than that, don't worry! But I won't say when she does! But yeah, she did.**

**~O~O~O~**

Dumbledore looked around and to his surprise, Dante raised his hand.

"I'll read, professor." he offered. Dumbledore picked the second book off the top of the pile and levitated it over to Dante, who raised an eyebrow at the title.

~Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets~ he read, looking around in confusion as the adults that didn't know about Dorea's little adventure at the end of the school year were having panic attacks.

"That was just a legend! It isn't real, is it?" James asked, looking at Dorea in horror. She glared at the table, it was in the Chamber that she discovered just how obsessed with her Voldemort really was.

"Oh, it was much more than just a legend." she grumbled. James and Sirius exchanged terrified glances, hopefully Dorea didn't have to fight the legendary monster within...

**~CHAPTER ONE - THE WORST BIRTHDAY~** he read, and winced along with Dorea and the other misfits.

"Considering how bad your birthdays usually are, this is pretty damn bad, isn't it?" Dan asked, opening one eye to look at Dorea. She shrugged, refusing to look anyone in the eyes.

**~Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise from his niece Dorea's room.~**

"But Hedwig isn't loud without any reason..." Hermione whispered, concerned for the beautiful owl.

**~"Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"~**

"How about you go..." Charlie growled, glaring icily at Vernon. Vernon tried not to cower under the gaze, he really did, but considering that the young man was very muscular and clearly knew how to beat someone into submission he couldn't help but cower.

**~Dorea tried, yet again, to explain.**

**"She's bored," she said. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out at night -"~**

"YOU DIDN'T LET HER OUT?!" all the animal lovers in the room shrieked, glaring icily at the Dursleys. Dan had to lean over and grab both Michaela's and Charlie's shoulders to keep them from going to murder the Dursleys. He knew that if either of them started beating the Dursleys they wouldn't be able to stop, being the biggest animal lovers in the room. Charlie ran off to a country where he didn't understand the language just so that he could work with animals and Michaela's life with her Clan literally revolved around animals. To them, animal cruelty was one of the worst things a person could do.

"Poor thing... Her wings must be in so much pain..." Michaela whispered, looking at the proud snowy owl with something akin to pity.

**~"Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon, a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy moustache.~**

People snickered as Vernon's face burned red.

"Do you want the truth or for us to lie?" James asked between cruel snickers. Vernon's face just burned even brighter as Remus began to howl with laughter at his pack member's joke.

**~"I know what'll happen if that owl's let out."He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia.~**

"Yeah, I'll be able to talk to my friends and get away from Durzkaban." Dorea grumbled. The only reason Vernon allowed Hedwig to stretch her wings now was because of the noise she kept making that summer.

**~Dorea tried to argue back but her words were drowned by a long, loud belch from the Dursleys' son, Dudley.**

**"I want more bacon."~**

Molly's eyes narrowed on Dudley. Absolutely no manners whatsoever. How disgusting.

**~"There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia, turning misty eyes on her massive son.~**

"He's gotten bigger since then." Dan commented, eyeing Dudley with disgust. And he hadn't thought that was possible at the time...

**~"We must feed you up while we've got the chance...~**

Madam Pomfrey began to splutter in shock and horror. _Feed him up_? He was already nearly fatally obese!

**~I don't like the sound of that school food..."~**

"Why, because they serve healthy food in healthy servings?" Bill snarled. Dorea nodded.

"Just about." Dudley couldn't help but blush bright red as people stared at his family in shock and disgust. Was the food he ate at home really _that_ bad...?

**~"Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when I was at Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?"**

**Dudley, who was so large his bottom drooped over either side of the kitchen chair,~**

People began to turn green at the thought. This would never happen in the magical world, magical cihldren were precious and always kept as healthy as possible!

**~grinned and turned to Dorea.**

**"Pass the frying pan."~**

"Say the magic words, 'please' and 'thank you'." Luna sang out. Dorea couldn't help but grin - Luna was really getting into the books.

**~"You've forgotten the magic word," said Dorea irritably.~**

"Good, teach that whale some manners." Lily and Molly both nodded. How Dudley would manage in the world they didn't know, he depended on everyone to do his work for him. Well, there was that muggle saying, every man marries his mother. Dudley's wife was going to be his slave...

**~The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen;~**

Dudley's face burned bright red as people laughed pointedly at him.

**~Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples.~**

"He's gonna have an aneurysm and it'll kill him. Hopefully before the seventh book." Bill growled. Lily and James nodded in agreement, they couldn't help but want the bastard that abused their baby girl good and dead. Then he would go to hell and be tormented for all eternity for what he did.

**"I meant `please'!" said Dorea quickly. "I didn't mean -"~**

"You shouldn't have to explain yourself for trying to teach him manners." Dan spat, glaring at the Dursleys. If they had laid one hand on her...

**~"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table,~**

"What a lovely thought." Cat hissed, her eyes become amber with slit pupils. Dante must have noticed this, because he whacked her arm, causing her eyes to revert back to normal. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the actions, did the misfits prefer to hide what they were? Or was it just Cat and Dante?

**~"ABOUT SAYING THE `M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"~**

"M word?" Charlie chuckled. Dorea's gaze darkened.

"He means magic. Doesn't want any 'freakishness' mentioned in my household." Dorea growled. Marge glared at Dorea.

"The house is -" Dorea cut her off.

"My mum bought it for Petunia as a wedding gift, but the receipt is still in mum's name. Ergo, when she passed away, I inherited it. Therefore, I'm kicking all of you out and selling the house." she deadpanned. "Grimfist is already working on it." The Dursleys all sat there, staring at Dorea in horror. She was selling their - her house. They had no where to live now.

**~"But I -"**

**"HOW _DARE_ YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his fist.~**

"_Threaten_? She was attempting to teach him the manners that you failed to teach him!" Sprout roared, angry beyond belief. Oh, if she had been there at the time, there wouldn't be a Vernon Dursley alive and she would most likely be locked away in Azkaban. Child abuse was something she would never put up with. Ever. Sprout glared down at the table in front of her as she began to feel incredibly guilty. _And she had never noticed that Dorea was being abused..._

**~"I just -"**

**"I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!"~**

The ceiling of the Great Hall groaned and Vernon yelped, his seat on the sofa shocking him. Nick smirked evilly.

"Well well well, it appears that Hogwarts doesn't tolerate your abnormality, freak." he growled. Myrtle snickered at all the horrified looks that were being sent Nick's way.

"What can you expect? What kind of normal person treats Dorea the way that the whale, pig, and horse have?" she asked, looking around. "In that sense, that means that they're the freaks." Vernon sat on the ground, frozen. Him, a _freak_?_ No, he **couldn't** be... It wasn't **possible**... He was **normal**..._

**~Dorea stared from his purple-faced uncle to her pale aunt, who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet.~**

Dorea couldn't help but giggle at the memory. That was the funniest thing she had ever seen the Dursley do.

**~"All right," said Dorea, "All right..."**

**Uncle Vernon sat back down, breathing like a winded rhinoceros and watching Dorea closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes.**

**Ever since Dorea had come home for the summer holidays, Uncle Vernon had been treating her like a bomb that might go off at any moment,~**

Ron and Hermione coughed something that sounded very similar to "Summer". Everyone who understood what that meant, meaning the Order of the Phoenix, laughed until they began to cry. Dorea had out-screamed Walburga Black! No one had thought that possible!

**~because Dorea Potter wasn't a normal girl. As a matter of fact, she was as not normal as it is possible to be.**

**Dorea Potter was a witch~**

"Uuuh..." Blaise looked at Dante curiously. A white note fell from the ceiling. Dante grabbed it, read it, and nodded.

"These books were written for muggles so as to make it easier for the Statue of Secrecy. It's in the perspective of muggles." he explained shortly. Madam Bones looked thoughtful You know, that wasn't such a bad idea... That way if any wizard accidentally says or does something in the muggle world they could say they were just simply an eccentric fan.

**~-a witch fresh from her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have her back for the holidays, it was nothing to how Dorea felt.~**

"Talk about similar families..." Dorea and Cat both grumbled. They understood that perfectly - Michaela had been forced to go back to her father, siblings, and step-mother every summer until she turned 16, and Cat's parents thought she was pure evil and a Satanist. All because she was a demon cat... It wasn't her fault! She didn't have a say in the matter!

**~She missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomach-ache.~**

Snape's eye twitched._ His childhood and Potter's weren't so different after all..._

**~She missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, her classes (though perhaps not Snape, the Potions master), the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall, sleeping in her four-poster bed in the tower dormitory, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds, and, especially, Quidditch, the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks).~**

"Why aren't we mentioned?" Hermione huffed. Michaela's eyes narrowed.

"So they're the ones...?" she trailed off. Dorea shook her head.

"Intercepted, not forgotten." she said simply. Michaela nodded, calming down, but Dan twitched in anger. Who had intercepted Dorea's mail?

**~All Dorea's spell books, her wand, robes, cauldron, and top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick had been locked in a cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon the instant Dorea had come home.~**

"Doesn't mention that I was too..." Dorea muttered under her breath, thinking out loud. She felt Bill stiffen against her, and she knew that he heard what she had said. She immediately flinched, expecting him to do something violent towards the Dursleys. What she didn't expect was for Bill to snuggle up closer to her, muttering apologies for something out of his control. Dorea rested her head on top of Bill's. "I don't blame you, so stop apologizing."

"I should have brought you with me to Egypt..." he muttered. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"You didn't know where I was, so drop it. It was never your fault, I never blamed you." she whispered, kissing his cheek. Dorea turned around, missing the fact that Bill's face lit up like a Christmas tree in the muggle world.

**~What did the Dursleys care if Dorea lost her place on the House Quidditch team because she hadn't practised all summer?~**

Oliver snorted.

"You got onto the team untrained from your first flight on a broomstick. You weren't geting kicked off the team for not practicing." he said shortly. No one argued with him, he did make sense in that case.

**~What was it to the Dursleys if Dorea went back to school without any of her homework done?~**

"You had it done in time." Flitwick said simply. Dorea snorted.

"Because I was rescued before the end of the summer." she said quietly. Bill felt his lips twitch - so Ron broke Dorea out of there, huh?

**~The Dursleys were what wizards called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins), and as far as they were concerned, having a witch in the family was a matter of deepest shame.~**

"Only really dedicated Christians and medieval styled muggles think that now. Having magical powers is considered a wonderful gift in the muggle world." Hermione snarled. Petunia glared at Hermione.

"And what would you know, you filthy freak?" she spat. A stream of pure black light hit the woman and she screamed in pain, her left arm being eaten away by what appeared to be black flames. Dumbledore flicked his wand, although he appeared to hesitate for a moment, and stopped the limb eating curse by the time that Petunia's forearm was gone. He didn't bother reversing the effects of the curse just yet. People were staring at a very angry Dorea in shock, that curse was dark Gray, borderline Dark.

"Don't you _ever_ speak that was to my older sister ever again or a cutting hex just _might_ hit your jugular." she snarled, sitting down and leaning against Bill, breathing in his scent once again. It must have calmed her down considerably, judging by Dorea's posture turning from rigid to slumped and comfortable.

**~Uncle Vernon had even padlocked Dorea's owl, Hedwig, inside her cage, to stop her from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world.~**

Michaela, Galandriel, and Elront all hissed in anger, their eyes shining a dangerous neon green. Dante looked at the three High Elves warily as he continued reading. Sucks that the Dursleys would have to face three angered Tamers soon... Wait, this was the Dursleys he was talking about, they didn't deserve pity!

**~Dorea looked nothing like the rest of the family.~**

"If you did you'd probably be butt ugly, so it's a good thing you don't look like them." Sirius commented, making Dorea laugh as James hit Sirius for even suggesting that his daughter could be ugly.

**~Uncle Vernon was large and neckless, with an enormous black moustache; Aunt Petunia was horse-faced and bony; Dudley was blond, pink, and porky. Dorea, on the other hand, was small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was always untidy, even though it was down to her shoulderblades now. She wore round glasses, and on her forehead was a thin, lightning-shaped scar.~**

"I still don't know how you manage to pull off the Snow White appearance so well..." Sierra said, looking at Dorea musingly. "Did your mother with for you to have skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and lips as red as blood when she was pregnant with you?" she asked. Dorea, Lily, Hermione, and the rest of the misfits laughed at the reference. Bill, who had read that muggle fairy-tale to Dorea when she was a baby as a bedtime story, chuckled, knowing what Sierra was talking about.

**~It was this scar that made Dorea so particularly unusual, even for a witch.**

**This scar was the only hint of Dorea's very mysterious past, of the reason she had been left on the Dursleys' doorstep eleven years before.~**

"Wish I could have been left with someone else..." Dorea muttered. Dumbledore looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Dorea, but Mrs. Figg only told me that you didn't appear to be the happiest child in the world, she mentioned nothing that you looked abused. If I had known that you were being abused I would have pulled you from the Dursleys and raised you at Hogwarts in a heartbeat." he said. Dan smiled, so Dumbledore did care about the fact that Dorea had been abused, he hadn't intended for that to happen.

**~At the age of one year old, Dorea had somehow survived a curse from the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time, Lord Voldemort, whose name most witches and wizards still feared to speak.**

**Dorea's parents had died in Voldemort's attack, but Dorea had escaped with her lightning scar, and somehow - nobody understood why Voldemort's powers had been destroyed the instant he had failed to kill Dorea. So Dorea had been brought up by his dead mother's sister and her husband. She had spent ten years with the Dursleys, never understanding why she kept making odd things happen without meaning to, believing the Dursleys' story that she had got her scar in the car crash that had killed her parents.~**

Remus started to growl.

"They might find themselves in a car crash if they aren't careful..." he muttered. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"I'll help. No one hurts pup and gets away with it." he grumbled. Remus could feel Moony howl in agreement to Sirius' statement. No one hurt his cub and got away Scot-free.

**~And then, exactly a year ago, Hogwarts had written to Dorea, and the whole story had come out. Dorea had taken up her place at wizard school, where she and her scar were famous... But now the school year was over, and she was back with the Dursleys for the summer, back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly.~**

All the misfits looked down at their feet. They all knew how that felt...

**~The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Dorea's twelfth birthday. Of course, her hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given her a real present, let alone a cake - but to ignore it completely...~**

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone cheered once more. This time, an emerald green cake with four tiers appeared in front of Dorea, with sapphire blue polka dots appearing here and there on the cake. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"We went through this a few days ago, guys. This is in the past, my birthday is in July!" she said, and Lily poked her daughter's cheek.

"Let us have our fun. _Ooooh_, it's triple chocolate with fudge filling!" she cooed, taking a massive bite out of the slice that Dobby cut for her. Dorea could see Remus, Michaela, and Sierra eyeing the cake, licking their lips. What she didn't notice was the Dursleys all staring at the cake, greed dancing in their eyes. They never got to eat something that looked as good as that!

**~At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now, as we all know, today is a very important day." Dorea looked up, hardly daring to believe it to be true. Could they have remembered after all?~**

"No." Michaela and Dorea both deadpanned.

**~"This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career, "said Uncle Vernon.~**

"And it failed." Dan predicted. Dorea snickered, she had told Michaela what had happened, and she knew that Michaela had told Dan what happened. They were practically siblings, after all.

**~Dorea went back to her piece toast. _Of course,_ she thought bitterly, U_ncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party. He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks._ _Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him _(Uncle Vernon's company made drills).**

**"I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be -?"~**

"You _plan_ what you're going to do at your parties?" Seamus asked incredulously. Petunia glared.

"For business deals as big as this one, yes, we did plan it a little." she spat. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"You planned when you were going to _announce dinner_, for Merlin's sake." she stated. Everyone began laughing at the looks on the Dursleys' faces.

**~"In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."**

**"Good, good. And Dudley?"**

**"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"~**

"Where're gonna put them? My cupboard?" Dorea asked innocently. Everyone glowered as they remembered for a fact that Dorea had the cupboard under the stairs as her bedroom for 10 years. To make things worse, she _still_ considered it her cupboard...

**~"They'll love him!" cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.~**

"Uh, you're delusional." Dan said. "No one could love a pig that acts like that."

**~"Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon. Then he rounded on Dorea. "And you?"**

**"I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Dorea tonelessly, having been told this for days on end.~**

"Now that's just sad..." Luna said, the mournful tone filling her voice. "They should have loved you for just being you, things would have ended up so much better for them..."

**~"Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight fifteen-"~**

Those who loved to party, that also just so happened to be in the Gryffindor House, all gagged. This was no dinner party! This was revolting!

**~"I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"And, Dudley, you'll say -"**

**"May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman.~**

Several people snort at the idea.

**~"My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia.~**

"Uh, she's already passed delusional." Sierra whispered to Dan, who nodded. That... That was just disgusting to think about.

**~"And you?" said Uncle Vernon viciously to Dorea.**

**"I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Dorea dully.**

**"Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ieas?"~**

"Wait, you plan _compliments_?" Bill said, not believing what he was hearing. The Dursleys flushed bright red as the Slytherins snickered at them, they had attended several dinner parties and none of them had been this precise. Planned a little, maybe, but it was a dinner party, usually there was a little planning behind it. But nothing this extreme!

**~"Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr. Mason... Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs. Mason..."~**

"Well, those wouldn't be _too_ bad for a dinner party..." McGonagall relented. She hated the fact that she was actually approving of something the Dursleys said.

**~"Perfect... Dudley?"**

**"How about -'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you."'~**

No one could hold their laughter in at the idea of saying that at a dinner party.

**~This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Dorea.~**

"Wait, _what_?" Percy asked, extremely confused. Dorea smiled.

"Let Dante read it."

**~Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son, while Dorea ducked under the table so they wouldn't see her laughing.~**

"Oooh, _that_ makes sense." Percy said, nodding. On both accounts it made sense. There was no way that Dorea would be like Petunia. Ever.

**~"And you, girl?"**

**Dorea fought to keep her face straight as she emerged.~**

"I'll bet it was hard to keep a straight face." Ron snickered. Dorea rolled her eyes, years of practice had made it easier than they would think.

**~"I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," she recited.**

**"Too right, you will," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you, and it's going to stay that way. When dinner's over, you take Mrs. Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia, and I'll bring the subject around to drills. With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the News at Ten. We'll be shopping for a vacation home in Majorca this time tomorrow."**

**Dorea couldn't feel too excited about this. She didn't think the Dursleys would like her any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.~**

"No, they would just make me do all the work on the vacation home and then tell everybody that asks that Vernon did it all himself. Like they always do." Dorea growled. She had already arranged with Grimfist to remove all the investments she had in Grunnings, then arranged for an audit on the company so that it would be discovered that Vernon was misusing the stipend that was meant for her. The Dursleys would find themselves jobless, homeless, and penniless soon enough...

**~"Right - I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And you," he snarled at Dorea. "You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."**

**Dorea left through the back door. It was a brilliant, sunny day. She crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and sang under her breath:**

**"Happy birthday to me ... Happy birthday to me..."~**

"Happy birthday dear Dorea, happy birthday to you." Bill sang in Dorea ear and kissed her cheek, smirking once again as her face burned a bright red. Oh yeah, she liked him alright... But he couldn't, not with her relationship with his brothers...

**~No cards, no presents, and she would be spending the evening pretending not to exist. She gazed miserably into the hedge. She had never felt so lonely. More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Dorea missed her best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.~**

"_Now_ we appear." Hermione smiled at the book. Dorea smiled back, it hadn't been their fault that she hadn't gotten their letters that summer.

**~They, however, didn't seem to be missing her at all. Neither of them had written to her all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Dorea to come and stay.~**

"You never told us that you never got any of Ron's letters, dear." Molly said fretfully. People exchanged glances - did someone interfere with Dorea's mail that summer?

**~Countless times, Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig's cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter, but it wasn't worth the risk. Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Dorea hadn't told the Dursleys this; she knew it was only their terror that she might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking her in the cupboard under the stairs with her wand and broomstick... _Again_...~**

Growls sounded throughout the room, and the Dursleys began to cower in fear. _Again_? _Again_?! What did Dorea mean by, _again_?!

**~For the first couple of weeks back, Dorea had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under her breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.~**

The Slytherins in the Circle sniggered evilly as they eyed Dudley. Perhaps they could...

**~But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Dorea feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal ~**

"The depression sank in again." Dan sighed. Dorea had always been depressed during their childhood, and it was all because of the Dursleys.

**~and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten her birthday.~**

"We didn't forget it." they growled, glaring at Dobby, who cowered and sat on Glandriel's lap.

**~What wouldn't she give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? She'd almost be glad of a sight of her archenemy, Draco Malfoy, just to be sure it hadn't all been a dream ~**

Malfoy smiled happily. So Dorea had wanted to see him, huh?

**~Not that her whole year at Hogwarts had been fun. At the very end of last term, Dorea had come face-to-face with none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self, but he was still terrifying, still cunning, still determined to regain power. Even more so, he was determined to make Dorea his Dark Lady. Dorea had slipped through Voldemort's clutches for a second time, but it had been a narrow escape, and even now, weeks later, Dorea kept waking in the night, drenched in cold sweat, wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes...~**

Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened. Was Dorea suffering from PTSD? If so, for how long? Magical PTSD was treatable, but muggle PTSD wasn't...

**~Dorea suddenly sat bolt upright on the garden bench.**

**She had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge - _and the hedge was staring back._~**

The misfits all turned to Michaela. She shook her head.

"Nope, not me." she said simply. They then looked confused - who could it have been?

**~Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves. Dorea jumped to her feet just as a jeering voice floated across the lawn.**

**"I know what day it is," sang Dudley, waddling toward her.~**

"Congratulations, you've learned the days of the week." Bill sneered.

**~The huge eyes blinked and vanished.~**

Dobby flushed, his face turned pink. He had been so happy that Dorea Potter had seen him, he hadn't stuck around in the hedge... He had gone to her room and began to fix the furniture in there...

**~"What?" said Dorea, not taking her eyes off the spot where they had been.**

**"I know what day it is," Dudley repeated, coming right up to her.**

**"Well done," said Dorea sarcastically. "So you've finally learned the days of the week."~**

Cat calls and wolf whistles rang through the Hall as both Dorea and Bill blushed. Lily and James smirked knowingly. Soulmates always thought alike. Always.

**~"Today's your birthday," sneered Dudley. "How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you even got friends at that freak place?"**

**"Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school," said Dorea coolly.**

**Dudley hitched up his trousers, which were slipping down his fat bottom.~**

Several of the fashionistas in the Hall squealed in disgust and shuddered in their seats. That just sounded horrifying...

**~"Why're you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously.**

**"I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Dorea.~**

"That's very Slytherin of you." Theo complimented. Dorea shrugged.

"I guess I have a Slytherin sense of humour, then." she said shortly.

**~Dudley stumbled backward at once, a look of panic on his fat face.~**

"Now _that_ had been fun to see." Dorea grinned wickedly. Bill patted her on the head, earning a glare from the tiny girl. "I am not a dog!" Bill grinned.

"I know you're not, but you're just so tiny I couldn't resist." he teased, snuggling up to Dorea. She huffed and glared at Bill.

"I'm in the perfect position to torture you right now." she muttered. Bill's face burned bright red as he realized what Dorea meant. She wouldn't _dare_...

**~"You c-can't - Dad told you you're not to do m-magic - he said he'll chuck you out of the house - and you haven't got anywhere else to go - you haven't got any friends to take you -"**

**"Jiggery pokery!" said Dorea in a fierce voice. "Hocus pocus... Squiggly wiggly-"~**

Those who knew the muggle perspective of magic were crying from laughing so hard.

**~"MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He's doing you know what!"**

**Dorea paid dearly for her moment of fun.**

**As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew she hadn't really done magic, but she still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at her head with the soapy frying pan.~**

Petunia let out a cry of pain as a conjured frying pan suddenly hit her upside the head. With tears in her eyes, she looked up to see a vindictive looking Lily smirking at her.

"And that is why you don't touch my baby." she snarled, turning to Dorea and snuggling right up to her daughter. Dorea smiled happily and snuggled right back up to her mother, it felt nice to have a mother you could snuggle with.

**~Then she gave her work to do, with the promise she wouldn't eat again until she'd finished.~**

"You know, I think fair punishment is that the only thing they can eat in a day would be 5 pieces of bread crust. Don't you think so, Dan?" Sierra asked loudly, making the Dursleys' eyes widen. _They wouldn't..._ Dan smirked evilly.

"I think that's an excellent punishment, maybe then the whales can lose some weight." he said just as loudly as Sierra had been. Dumbledore nodded and looked at Dobby, who vanished with a loud CRACK, no doubt going to tell the House Elves the dietary plan that the Dursleys would now be on.

**~While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream, Dorea cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flowerbeds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench. The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of her head because of her dark hair. Dorea knew she shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait, but Dudley had said the very thing Dorea had been thinking himself... Maybe she _didn't_ have any friends at Hogwarts...~**

"BULL SHIT!" Hermione shouted, earning shocked looks from everyone. They never knew she could swear...

**~_Wish they could see famous Dorea Potter now,_ she thought savagely as she spread manure on the flowerbeds, her back aching, sweat running down her face.~**

Dumbledore sighed. Perhaps he should have checked up on her himself, instead of just trusting Arabella's word. But Arabella had never lie to him before... What had changed things now?

**~When she was trimming the flower beds near the hedge, she heard someone 'Psst!' at her from the other side. Dorea looked up to she a small container holding about ten cookies being forced through the hedge. She smiled and grabbed them, hiding them in her baggy pockets. The hand holding the container disappeared, and her neighbour Michaela's face was now visible through the hole that her hand had left.~**

"Thanks for those, by the way. They made up for what the Dursleys fed me." Dorea smiled at her misfit friends. Sierra, Cat, and Michaela al did a two-finger salute and grinned. Sierra got the ingredients, Cat baked them, and Michaela delivered them.

"No problem!" the three girls sang.

**~"Happy birthday, Dorea!" she whispered, looking around. "I can't stay long, my dad'll figure out what I just did if I'm outside long enough, but Sierra and Cat promised that they'll send more where those came from!" she whispered, disappearing from Dorea's view once again.~**

Charlie smiled and hugged Michaela. She was a good friend, doing that even though she could get in trouble for it.

**~It was half past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, she heard Aunt Petunia calling her.~**

The Bulgarians began to swear even louder than they had earlier. Dorea hadn't eaten since breakfast!

**~"Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!"**

**Dorea moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen. On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding: a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets. A loin of roast pork was sizzling in the oven.~**

"Which I got none of." Dorea grumbled. Bill glared at the Dursleys, they knew they were being payed to take care of Dorea, and yet they had misused it so greedily. They deserved every ounce of what was coming for them.

**~"Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of stale bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table.~**

Bill glared at the Dursleys. That was not a dinner at all! That was a snack!

**~She was already wearing a salmon-pink cocktail dress.~**

Sierra snickered.

"No one wears salmon pink anymore." she whispered to Dan, who looked confused. He looked at her incredulously.

"Well I don't follow fashion, and neither does Michaela, so..." he shrugged. Sierra looked at Michaela's clothing selection for today, a white tank top with a black and white striped off the shoulder shirt underneath, black short shorts, and matching black and white striped stockings that reached Michaela's mid-thigh, and the outfit was finished with black high-top converse. Michaela dressed according to her own style, no one could argue with that.

**~Dorea washed her hands and bolted down her pitiful supper. The moment she had finished, Aunt Petunia whisked away her plate.**

**"Upstairs! Hurry!"~**

Dan's eye twitched. That was how his aunts and uncles reacted whenever he was visiting and they had some friends visiting. Out of sight and out of mind was better than having their friends see their Squib nephew. Anything was better than the Squib nephew. Just because he didn't have access to his magical core didn't mean that he was any less than his cousins!

**~As she passed the door to the living room, Dorea caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets. She had only just reached the upstairs landing when the door bell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face appeared at the foot of the stairs.**

**"Remember, girl - one sound -"~**

Bill growled and glared at Vernon.

"One sound from you and you'l be wishing that you were never born." he spat. Vernon's eyes widened and he felt a mixture to fear and anger wash through him - who was this brat to order him around? He was Vernon Dursley, Vice President of Grunnings! One of the most successful businessmen in Surrey!

**~Dorea crossed to her bedroom on tiptoe slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on her bed. The trouble was, there was already someone sitting on it.~**

"Wait, what?" several people asked. Dorea shrugged.

"Next chapter." she said simply. Dante closed the book.

"That's the chapter, who wants to read next?" he asked, looking around.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 8, 059**

**Wow... This was a load shorter than I wanted it to be... But then again, the actual chapter in the book is short too. And before anyone says anything, I apologize for any and all spelling mistakes or grammatical errors! I don't have a beta, which makes it difficult to catch everything when I'm editing on my own...**

**Review Count: 493**

**SWEET JESUS WITH A CHERRY ON TOP! I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH! *glomps reviewers* YOU ALL ROCK LIKE GOOPY GOOBERS! AND YES THAT WAS A SPONGEBOB REFERENCE!**

**Review Goal: 520**

**I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN MAKE IT! I BELIEVE IN ALL OF YOU!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO THERE'S THE REVIEW THINGY! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE FIRST CHAPTER FOR CHAMBER OF SECRETS!**


	22. Book 2: Chapter 2

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC!**

**I am so sorry for the late update, guys! I have 2 ISUs(Independent Study Prejects) due on the same day, and I started the one a week before and the other the weekend before -.-" Procrastinator? Yes, and proud!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**MistBlade8: I'm glad you loved it! Ah, so I have found my Narcissa reviewer. Well, if you're Narcissa, am I Hermione then? *cocks head to side* I'm so confused... I act a lot like Hermione, but I also act like Luna too... Yes yes, your ideas are useful. Should that happen during an interlude before Dorea and Bill get together? Because I could imagine Michaela and Dante doing that to Dorea when the Misfits, Marauders, and Potters are hanging out in Dorea's lounge. Then everyone teases Bill for going all red and splutter-y.**

**griffindork93: No, because Dorea was set on selling the house once she found out that she owned it, remember? As for making Vernon penniless, Dorea can un-Brand Vernon at any time, which she'll do when she drains him of all his cash. Evil of her, isn't it? Well, it's more Slytherin than evil, but still pretty evil! As for taking everything away - don't worry, Vernon is more likely gonna be sent to janitorial duties rather than be completely fired. Therefore their life of luzury is gona and Petunia has to find a job as well in order to pay the bills. Fudge is already in enough trouble with the law, and the spell that Dorea used was still completely legal, just like if she used a cutting hex on Petunia's arm. And I don't want to be rude, but it was a limb eating curse. It's reversable, and the worst that can happen to her is that she loses her limbs for good if no one is willing to reverse the curse. If they did cry foul on it, then they would be forced to take Dorea to court in order to do something about it, and in court Dorea could use their slander and illegal activities against them easily to not only win the case on the fact that the accusers are looking for any reason to arrest Dorea, which we saw at the beginning of the fifth canon-book, and then have both Umbridge and Fudge thrown in Azkaban for what they did. Besides, Umbridge was still unconscious. She'll wake up in the middle of the second chapter, but she's keeping her toad-mouth shut for now. Yes, Percy is beginning to regain his senses. He'll admit he was wrong because he was under Umbridge's influence, and he'll probably come around during the middle of the Third Task. Well, it doesn't seem normal for Harry to have nightmares about Voldemort after what happened, because what happened was completely abnormal. So I think a good reaction would be for him to have some for of PTSD, because in canon he was nearly killed and he was one of the key factors in killing Quirrell, I'd say that's traumatic enough to count for PTSD. Well, considering that Michaela is Dorea's friend and they live next to each other, the cookies only make sense to me.**

**ptl4ever419: At the moment I'm not looking for a beta, but if I find that I need one I'll message you. Sound good?**

**EvilLittleOwl: How did you not know about this story? You just hadn't found it yet :) Oh, wow, you didn't think the misfits would work? Considering that Michaela is going to be part of the books in the story... I find that a little insulting. That question is a good one and I already have that part planned, it'll be in the interlude, so the second chapter that I'll be updating, the fourth Interlude, will explain that. Probably from either Parkinson or Malfoy. Ugh, I hate the names Harriet and Henrietta. I mean, I read a one-shot where they kept the name Harry, but only because Lily and James were trying to keep Voldemort away from their daughter. And since Dorea Potter nee Black could possibly be James' mother, I decided that it would be sweet of James to name his daughter after his mother. Isn't it?**

**~O~O~O~**

Galandriel looked over at Dante.

"I'll read, if you don't mind." she offered. Dante nodded and had Blaise, who was sitting near the multi-colour haired boy, levitate the book over to the High Elf. Galandriel opened it to the second chapter and raised an eyebrow at the title.

**~CHAPTER TWO - DOBBY'S WARNING~** she read. Everyone in the circle turned to look at the eccentric elf that was sitting in between Galandriel and Elront, while Malfoy perked up a the title. He didn't remember anyone in his family sending Dobby to go to Dorea that summer... Dobby was his personal elf before his father freed him, and Draco Malfoy had been told that Dobby had betrayed his father and attacked him without reason near the end of the school year, and that was why he had been freed. Could there be more to the story than his father originally told him?

**~Dorea somehow managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.~**

"Thanks, miss Dorea Potter." Dobby said, rolling his eyes. Dorea could help but fall over onto her mother's lap from laughing so hard.

"I - I taught you - how to be - sarcastic - _successfully_?" she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. Dobby nodded happily, making everyone that had seen the interaction burst into laughter. _Dorea, teaching a House Elf how to be sarcastic? Maybe she **did** do the impossible for breakfast..._

**~Dorea knew instantly that this was what had been watching her out of the garden hedge that morning.~**

"Told you it wasn't me." Michaela muttered. Dan patted her on the head.

"We all know, and we believe you now." he mocked. Michaela scowled and poked his side multiple times, laughing as she watched Dan jump and twist around with each poke. "Stop it!" he swatted her invading hand away. Charlie shook his head at the two of them, they acted more like siblings than anything else.

**~As they stared at each other, Dorea heard Dudley's voice from the hall.~**

"How loud _were_ they?" Remus asked in horrified awe. Were they trying to ensure that Dorea couldn't be heard no matter what she tried?

**~"May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"~**

Everyone laughed, remembering what had just happened in the chapter prior. Looks like Dudley stayed on script after all.

**~The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Dorea noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.~**

Hermione scowled at the same time that Michaela, Galandriel, and Elront looked at the book in disgust. Even though they were less powerful than High Elves, House Elves were still their brethren, and someone would make one of their own workers wear such a horrid uniform?

**~"Er - hello," said Dorea nervously.**

**"Dorea Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Dorea was almost sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, miss... Such an honour it is..."~**

"Don't be so loud, Dobby." Michaela adviced. Dan rolled his eyes and beat Dorea to the punch.

"This is in the past, Michaela. You know, as in it already happened?" he asked. Michaela blushed and buried her head in Charlie's chest, who was happily holding Michaela in his arms. His heart was pounding so furiously and he didn't know why...

**~"Th-thank you," said Dorea, edging along the wall and sinking into her desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. She wanted to ask, "What are you?" but thought it would sound too rude,~**

"Well, considering that I had never seen a House Elf before the question itself was justifiable." Dorea said, seeing the looks that Galandriel, Molly, and Lily were all sending her. Lily gave Dorea a little leeway, seeing as this was her first time seeing a House Elf.

**~so instead she said, "Who are you?"**

**"Dobby, miss. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.~**

"Well, looks like he answered both your questions, sweety." Bill whispered, making Dorea's face burn bright red at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck. She glared at him.

"I know you're doing that on purpose, so stop it or I start the torture." she growled. Bill's eyes widened as he stared at Dorea in shock, he knew that if she got him started he probably wouldn't be able to hold himself back. Deciding that it would probably be best, Bill leaned back on the sofa, no longer breathing down Dorea's neck.

**~"Oh - really?" said Dorea. "Er - I don't want to be rude or anything, but - this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom."~**

"It really wasn't." Dorea sighed. Dobby smiled apologetically at Dorea, who waved it off. "It wasn't your fault, you were only trying to help me... Though your way of helping was a bit odd..." she admitted musingly, thinking about the pudding, the barrier, the bludger... But Dobby was her friend, no matter what he did in the past. He had only been trying to help her in the way he saw best, and considering how the Malfoys had treated him when he was with them, she wasn't surprised that Dobby's ways of helping her were odd.

**~Aunt Petunias high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.**

**"Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," said Dorea quickly, "But, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"~**

"You're too kind, Dorea." Elront sighed. Considering the uniform that Dobby wore, his family treated their elves cruelly. Her kindness would do more harm than good at the current moment in the book.

**~"Oh, yes, miss," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, miss... It is difficult, miss... Dobby wonders where to begin..."**

**"Please sit down," said Dorea politely, pointing at the bed.~**

Everyone who knew how elves treated like Dobby would react groaned or flinched, that wouldn't be good.

**~To her immense horror, the elf burst into tears - very noisy tears.~**

"They're gonna hear him downstairs!" James shouted, tearing at his hair. If the books only kept getting worse after this, he was going to end up bald simply from stress alone. Not to mention the hair tearing.

**~"S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never... Never ever..."**

**Dorea could have sworn she heard the voices downstairs falter.~**

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit..." Dan started muttering under his breath. That wasn't good, that really wasn't good...

**~"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything -"~**

"The exact opposite. You're showing him kindness." Michaela ground out, looking as though she wanted to strangle someone. "When I find out who the wizards he worked for are..." She made a very violent gesture in the air, similar to how someone would strangle and throttle someone at the same time. Malfoy gulped nervously at the sight.

**~"_Offend_ Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has _never_ been asked to sit down by a wizard - like an _equal_-"~**

Hermione sniffed angrily as Dan nodded.

"Sounds like he's treated the way Squibs have traditionally been treated for centuries, like _slave labour_." he grumbled. Michaela nodded in agreement, that pretty much summed it up in one. Well, for the nicer pureblood families, that is. The really nice ones, like the Potters, the Longbottoms, or the Bones, used to actually hire Squibs from other families disguising it as that they would be treated horribly, but then would treat them more along the lines of distant cousins that help the House Elves.

**~Dorea, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll.~**

Dobby pouted as Dorea blushed and most of the Hall laughed at the description.

**~At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Dorea in an expression of watery adoration.~**

"That's creepy yet kinda cute at the same time." Dante said happily.

**~"You can't have met many decent wizards," said Dorea, trying to cheer him up.**

**Dobby shook his head.~**

All the purebloods winced. Dobby and Dorea both made big mistakes right there. Insulting the House Elf's family and agreeing with the insult.

**~Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! _Bad_ Dobby!"~**

Michaela's eyes narrowed. She knew that House Elves weren't always treated the best, every elf knew that, but to go so far as to make them beat themselves for so much as _insulting_ their family...

**~"Don't - what are you doing?" Dorea hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed - Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.**

**"Dobby had to punish himself, miss," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, miss..."**

**"Your family?"**

**"The wizard family Dobby serves, sir... Dobby is a house-elf - bound to serve one house and one family forever...~**

Those that knew how Dobby was freed snorted. Or Dorea could trick Lucius Malfoy into freeing him.

**~"Do they know you're here?" asked Dorea curiously.**

**Dobby shuddered.**

**"Oh, no, miss, no... Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, miss. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this.~**

"_WHAT_!" the three High Elves shrieked, all three of their eyes glowing a green only slightly darker than the neon shade. Dobby looked at the three curiously.

"We knew that things weren't always the best for House Elves..." Michaela growled, her sharpening nails digging into her palms. Her rage took over her throat as she began speaking in an Elvish tongue that no human in the room seemed to recognize. Galandriel translated.

"House Elves are not allowed to punish themselves, as they are members of the Elvish Nation. Simply for the mistreatments that the Darker wizarding families of Magical Britain, we of the Elvish Nation are well within our rights to take back the House Elves and declare war for these crimes." she explained.

It was apparent that Umbridge had finally awoken, because she rocketed to her feet and exclaimed, "YOU FILTHY HALF-BREEDS HAVE _NO_ RIGHTS IN BRITAIN!" she shouted. Galandriel's head snapped around so quickly to face the toad-like woman that Charlie swore he heard the bones crack.

"We _more_ than have rights, as is in the _Magical Constitution_ signed alongside the _Magna Carta_. The Elvish Nation has the rights to make any decision that involves our people, and that _includes_ House Elves." she spat. Madam Bones Silenced and placed a Body Bind on the Under Secretary, more than just a little angered at the woman. Perhaps she should sit in on her lessons and monitor her then as well...

**~If they ever knew, miss..."**

**"But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"~**

"No." the Slytherins in the Circle deadpanned. The three Elves and Dan were all fuming at this, the Elves because of how their kind was being treated by wizards in Britain, Dan because Dobby reminded him of how Squibs were treated in the past.

**~"Dobby doubts it, miss. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, miss. They lets Dobby get on with it, miss. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments..."~**

"I'll kill them all..." Michaela hissed, almost literally. Charlie pulled the blonde girl into a tighter hug and rubbed soothing circles on her back. The Malfoys would pay for what they did to Dobby. They would _definitely_ pay.

**~"But why don't you leave? Escape?"**

**"A house-elf must be set free, miss. And the family will never set Dobby free... Dobby will serve the family until he dies, miss..."~**

"Because Lucius Malfoy would never knowingly free one of his servants. Like master like servant." Dorea spat. Bill snuggled up to Dorea, she did have a point there. Voldemort would never give up one of his servants either, and that's what his Death Eaters were to him. Servants.

**~Dorea only stared.**

**"And I thought _I_ had it bad staying here for another four weeks," she said.~**

"You _do_." almost everyone in the Hall said as one. Dorea flushed, her home life hadn't been all too bad... _The Dursleys were only a little abusive... It wasn't too bad... Was it? She hated them for what they did, but compared to Dobby or Voldemort her home life was **easy**..._

**~"This makes the Dursleys sound almost human.~**

"Almost is the key word there, Dorea. They aren't human inside at all." Lily snarled, glaring at her sister. "How I'm related to that horse I don't remember." Petunia couldn't help but flinch at the blatant insult there.

**~Can't anyone help you? Can't I?"**

**Almost at once, Dorea wished she hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude.~**

"Odd. Most House Elves like serving their masters, no matter how cruel they are. House Elves need their masters to live." Daphne commented. Hermione stared at Daphne in shock, so that was why the House Elves loved being slaves so much? It helped them survive?

"But the Hogwarts Elves -" Daphne cut Hermione off.

"Serve Hogwarts as their Head Mistress. They live off the ambient magic that's in the area." she explained. Hermione sank into her seat, shocked. Well, maybe SPEW could change its goals from getting all House Elves wages to fair treatment towards House Elves instead...

**~"Please," Dorea whispered frantically, "Please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here -"**

**"Dorea Potter asks if she can help Dobby... Dobby has heard of your greatness, miss, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew..."~**

"I'm not that great." Dorea muttered. Bill pinched Dorea's cheek and pulled on it, a scowl on his face.

"Stop being so modest, not just anyone could have denied Voldemort the way you did at 11." he scolded. Dorea pouted and slapped Bill's hand away. If only he knew, he would know that she wasn't great at all... She was cursed... Cursed more than just the unicorn blood, every person that she showed kindness to was in danger. Voldemort would stop at nothing to cut all the ties that Dorea has just to make her have no one else but him. She was cursed with the fact that she had a Dark Lord that was obsessed with her, cursed to live in fear of who amongst her friends would be put in danger next...

**~Dorea, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, "Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she -"**

**But she stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.~**

Hermione smiled sadly.

"I felt the same way, until Ron sent me a letter explaining the circumstances in which he found you." she explained. "Then I wanted nothing more than to murder the Dursleys." She glared icily at said family, Vernon with the Brand on his back, Marge with a bright purple face, Petunia with half of her arm eaten away(Madam Pomfrey would be forced to reverse that later), and Dudley, who was attempting to become one with the sofa that he was sitting on.

**~"Dorea Potter is humble and modest," said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Dorea Potter speaks not of her triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named -"**

**"Voldemort?" said Dorea.~**

"_That_ was a mistake." Dorea said emotionlessly. _They would be finding out about the bars soon..._

**~Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, miss! Speak not the name!"~**

"So his masters fear the name... Must belong to a Dark Slytherin family if he has to punish himself for almost everything." Blaise mused, looking at Dobby for confirmation. Seeing Dobby's nod, Blaise smirked. Probably Malfoy's family, now that he thought about it. Draco Malfoy had been complaining about how he had lost a House Elf the summer before Third Year, and by the looks of it, Dobby was a free elf and proud of it.

**~"Sorry" said Dorea quickly. "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron -"**

**She stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.~**

"At least, up until a few minutes later when I found out about why Ron hadn't been writing to me, or rather, why I hadn't gotten one letter from him." Dorea murmured. Bill, James, and Lily all heard this and glared at Dobby. So, he had been intercepting Dorea's mail, had he?

**~Dobby leaned toward Dorea, his eyes wide as headlights.**

**"'Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "That Dorea Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago... That Dorea Potter escaped _yet again._"~**

"So his master has a kid that's at least in Dorea's year." Moody grunted, magical eye whirring around towards the Slytherins. The old pureblood families that were caught up in old, old beliefs usually went there because of the prestige that came with being a Slytherin. Those families were usually the ones that abused their Elves as well.

**~Dorea nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.**

**"Ah, miss," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Dorea Potter is valiant and bold! She has braved so many dangers already!~**

"Dobby hit the nail on the head with that description." Sirius nodded, thinking about how Dorea charged headfirst at the Whomping Willow and faced not only himself, but also Remus, who she knew was a werewolf, down simply to save a friend. She fought off Voldemort and brought Cedric's body back for his family. Dorea was the most valiant and noble person he had ever met, including James and Lily.

**~But Dobby has come to protect Dorea Potter, to warn her, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later... _Dorea Potter must not go back to Hogwarts._"~**

"Hogwarts is my home, I could never leave it if I knew that something was going to happen to it." Dorea stated proudly. She could feel a hum in the air around her, feeling Hogwarts seemingly preen itself in pride at how loyal its Champion was.

**~There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice.**

**"W-what?" Dorea stammered. "But I've got to go back - term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't _belong_ here. I belong in _your world_ - at _Hogwarts_."~**

Dan nodded.

"No offence, but you've never really fit into the muggle world. None of us have, now that I think about it..." he muttered, rubbing his chin. Michaela seemed to fit in better with Charlie, meaning that she would probably do best on a dragon reserve. Sierra fit right in with the Delacours(save Fleur), meaning she would do well in magical France. Cat was almost always with the other Nekos in Osaka, Japan, and she fit in perfectly there. Dante fit in with the magical community in southern Italy. Himself, well, Dan fit in best with Dorea, honestly. He understood what it was like to be seen as less than human because of something that he couldn't control. The others knew as well, but with all technicalities, only he and Dorea were purely human, the only ones that weren't half anything.

**~"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Dorea Potter must stay where she is safe. She is too great, too good, to lose.~**

Dumbledore nodded soberly. That was why he made her make that promise at the end of her second year, why he sent her those gifts for her birthdays... All of them were to help protect her from the dangers of the world. Her light was so rare, so pure, that he and almost every other adult felt as though they should do all they could to preserve it and protect her. Dumbledore knew for a fact that was why Molly Weasley didn't want Dorea to know anything that the Order does, even though Dumbledore and Sirius both agreed that they would make her part of the Order on her 16th birthday, when she was old enough to understand all the perspectives of war, when she was more mature.

**~If Dorea Potter goes back to Hogwarts, she will be in mortal danger."**

**"Why?" said Dorea in surprise.**

**"There is a plot, Dorea Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, miss. Dorea Potter must not put herself in peril. She is too important, sir!"~**

"First off, I don't put myself in danger, Danger likes to find me. Second off, I'm not impor-" Dorea was cut off by Bill whacking her head, not hard enough for it to hurt her, but hard enough to shut her up.

"Finish that sentence and you won't like the punishment." he whispered in her ear. "You are too important, much more important than anyone realizes. Not because of what you've done, but because you're you." Dorea couldn't help but grin. Finally, someone who saw her as just her! Before she knew what she was doing, Dorea looked up at Bill, smiled, and kissed the corner of his mouth. After the two settled back in their spots, blushing bright red as they realized what just happened, everyone smirked at the sight, especially Ron and Hermione. So Dorea was finally beginning to act upon her feelings, huh?

**~"What terrible things?" said Dorea at once. "Who's plotting them?"**

**Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.**

**"All right!" cried Dorea, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell me. I understand. But why are you warning me?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck her. "Hang on - this hasn't got anything to do with Vol- sorry, sorry - with You-Know-Who, has it?~**

"Miss Dorea Potter is so kind, so so kind to us House Elves..." Dobby wailed through joyous tears. "So kind, so so kind..." Elront couldn't help but smile. Not many people took magical creature's feelings into thought when they were talking to them.

**~You could just shake or nod," she added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again.~**

Those who knew House Elves nodded. That would be good, give him options that don't betray his master's secrets but still give her the information that she wants.

**~Slowly, Dobby shook his head.**

**"Not -not He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, miss.'**

**But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Dorea a hint.~**

"That hint was so bloody cryptic..." Dorea grumbled.

**~Dorea, however, was completely lost.**

**"He hasn't got a brother, has he?"~**

Dumbledore slowly shook his head, chuckling morbidly.

"Dorea, if he had a brother, he would have murdered him long ago." he said. Dorea chuckled equally mordibly and nodded.

"True enough, true enough." Bill shook his head at the two, how they could laugh at this reality he would never know. Maybe it was because they understood Voldemort better than anyone thought...

**~Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.**

**"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Dorea. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing - you _do_ know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"**

**Dobby bowed his head.**

**"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, miss. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, miss" - Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper - "There are powers Dumbledore doesn't... Powers no decent wizard..."~**

Dorea flinched at her old words, her hand clutching the silver scar on her right forearm. She had those powers... All because of the unicorn blood... Erador noticed this and shook his head.

"You have no such powers, Blessed One. Soul Magicks are a branch of magic that are best left to fade in the sands of time." he said. Dorea huffed.

"Didn't stop Snake Face from making me one of them." she spat. Dumbleodre's eyes widened in horror. So Voldemort _had_ made Horcruxes, and Dorea _had been_ or _still was_ one of them...

**~And before Dorea could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Dorea's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with ear splitting yelps.**

**A sudden silence fell downstairs.~**

"_Shit_." Sierra cursed, fingering her wand. 12 3/4 inches long, rosewood with a Chinese Fireball heartstring. This wasn't good for Dorea, and if Dursley touched her Sierra would be first in line to hex him into oblivion.

**~Two seconds later Dorea, heart thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!"**

**"Quick! In the closet!" hissed Dorea, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door, and flinging herself onto the bed just as the door handle turned.**

**"What - the - devil - are - you - doing - in - here?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth, his face horribly close to Dorea's. "You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke -~**

Dorea snorted.

"That joke is completely tasteless, and probably would have cost you the deal alone." she stated. "Long story short, it's a joke about a golfer who gets a Japanese prostitute, sleeps with her and copies something she says in bed to someone he wants to make a deal with. The last line is the Japanese man asking the man what he meant by "wrong hole". Totally tasteless and disgusting." she explained. All the women in the room turned to glare at the Dursleys, people that liked jokes like that one ought to be pummelled into accepting what they did wrong.

**~One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, girl!"**

**He stomped flat-footed from the room.**

**Shaking terribly, Dorea let Dobby out of the closet.~**

Bill hugged Dorea closer to him. She had been shaking, the only other time it ever mentioned Dorea shaking was when she was facing Voldemort for the first time. Her uncle terrified her. That spoke quite loudly to him.

**~"See what it's like here?" she said. "See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got -well, I think I've got friends. "**

**"Friends who don't even write to Dorea Potter?" said Dobby slyly.~**

"You were intercepting her mail?" Dan growled. Dobby gulped and nodded, not noticing how all the misfits were twitching out of anger. Each of them knew what it was like to be forgotten by people they cared about, and each of them knew what it meant to be waiting for a letter that wasn't coming.

**~"I expect they've just been - wait a minute," said Dorea, frowning. "How do _you_ know my friends haven't been writing to me?"**

**Dobby shuffled his feet.~**

"Clear sign of guilt." the Marauders recited as one. Peter had done that a lot during their first three years.

**~"Dorea Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best -"**

**"_Have you been stopping my letters_?"~**

Ron and Hermione flinched.

"She's angry." they chorused, making Dorea flush. She hadn't meant to shout at Grimmauld Place, she just... Lost her temper at what Ron and Hermione were saying.

**~"Dobby has them here, miss," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Dorea's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Dorea could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid. Dorea felt rage pound through her blood as she saw one of the packages was clearly from the person that signed their letters as B, the charm that she had been looking forwards to for her birthday gift from them.**

**Dobby blinked anxiously up at Dorea.~**

"Miss Dorea Potter had looked so angry... I hadn't known how important those letters had been to miss Dorea Potter..." Dobby said mournfully. Dorea shook her head.

"I forgave you long ago, Dobby. No need to feel guilty any longer." she said. Lily smiled at her daughter.

"You are the most forgiving person I have ever met, sweetheart. I am so proud of you." she leaned over and kissed Dorea's forehead. Dorea couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face, her mother was proud of her. Her mother loved her. She finally understood what it was like to have a mother that loved her. Molly Weasley was like a mother, but nothing could replace having your own mother tell you she was proud of you.

**~"Dorea Potter mustn't be angry... Dobby hoped... If Dorea Potter thought her friends had forgotten her... Dorea Potter might not want to go back to school, miss..."**

**Dorea wasn't listening.~**

"When do you, anyway?" Hermione asked cheekily. Dorea responded by holding up three fingers.

"Read in between the lines, 'Mione." she said. Michaela smirked and flipped Hermione off.

"She means this." she translated. Galandriel whacked Michaela over the head with the book and continue reading, sending her graddaughter an icy glare for her language.

**~She made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of her reach.**

**"Dorea Potter will have them, miss, if she gives Dobby her word that she will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, miss, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, miss!"~**

"Don't do it! He's setting you up for a magical contract!" James shouted, panicking. Dorea snickered.

"Don't worry, I didn't."

**~"_No_," said Dorea angrily. "_Give me my friends' letters_!"**

**"Then Dorea Potter leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly.**

**Before Dorea could move, Dobby had dropped the letters, darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.**

**Mouth dry, stomach lurching, Dorea sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. She jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet,~**

Luna nodded.

"You're most likely a cat animagus, probably a silver tiger." she commented. The Marauders and Charlie were practically dancing in their seats, Dorea was most likely a magical animagus! They were so rare it wasn't even funny! Sirius and James silently swore that they would make Dorea an animagus if it was the last thing they did.

**~looking around for Dobby. From the dining room she heard Uncle Vernon saying, "...Tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear..."~**

Everyone snorted. She most certainly had been dying to hear it, absolutely no sarcasm intended there.

**~Dorea ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt her stomach disappear.~**

"You should really get that checked, Dorea, it's not normal for organs to disappear." Luna said in concern. Dorea smiled at the odd Ravenclaw.

"It didn't disappear, Luna, don't worry." she reassured. Luna nodded and smiled, it was good to know that her stomach hadn't really disappeared.

**~Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.**

**"No," croaked Dorea. "Please ... They'll kill me ~**

Dorea winced. Vernon nearly had after that, the beating that night had probably broken more than just a few ribs. Dobby flinched as well.

"Miss Dorea Potter, I's is sorry. I's was not knowing that they's would try to kills you." he said. Dorea waved it off.

"Like I said earlier, I forgave you long ago. No need to apologize."

**~"Dorea Potter must say she's not going back to school -"**

**"Dobby... Please ...**

**"Say it, miss -"**

**"I _can't_ -"**

**Dobby gave her a tragic look.**

**"Then Dobby must do it, miss, for Dorea Potter's own good."**

**The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.~**

Madam Bones nodded and took note of that.

"Lady Potter, this incident will be cleared from your record as you were never the one to perform the magic." she informed. Dorea nodded thankfuly, she didn't like that the Ministry could dangle that over her when they wanted.

**~There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Dorea, rigid with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunia's pudding.**

**At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss the whole thing over. ("Just our niece - very disturbed from an incident when she was young, meeting strangers upsets her, so we kept her upstairs when guests come over...") He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Dorea he would flay her to within an inch of her life when the Masons had left,~**

Dorea flinched almost violently, that flaying had really hurt. Vernon had most definitely kept that promise. Bill felt Dorea's flinch against his chest and growled very audibly, glaring directly at Vernon. He would kill that bastard if it was the last thing he did.

**~and handed her a mop.**

**Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Dorea, still shaking from the promise, started scrubbing the kitchen clean.**

**Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal - if it hadn't been for the owl.~**

"The Ministry really should find a better way to contact muggleborns when they do magic over the holidays, it could cause more questions if someone sees the owl." McGonagall said musingly. Madam Bones nodded, taking note of the idea. That owl had probably caused more harm than good, especially with the Dursleys being the way they are.

**~Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a huge barn owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped out again. Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.~**

"The Dursleys don't have a sense of humour. They would never come up with a good joke." Sirius said seriously, Remus nodded solemnly in agreement.

**~Dorea stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support and for her life, as Uncle Vernon advanced on her, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.~**

James growled viciously as he saw how Dorea was shaking.

"Dursley, if you touched my daughter, I swear I will kill you in a way that makes Voldemort look merciful." he promised. "So mote it be." A gold glow surrounded James and Vernon gulped, the old codger had explained aboutabout magical contracts and oaths to them to make them understand what had happened the first day. He knew that he was a dead man now.

**~"Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on - read it!"**

**Dorea took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.**

_**Dear Ms. Potter,**_

**_We have received intelligence_~**

Everyone snorted. As if the Ministry had any intelligence to begin with, save a few Head of Departments.

**~_that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine._**

_**As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spell work on your part may lead to expulsion from said school.**_

_**(Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).**_

_**We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.**_

_**Enjoy your holidays!~**_

"It was impossible after that letter came." Dorea muttered. Michaela growled, glaring at the Dursleys. She had been the one to deliver Dorea food through the bars and her open window, she knew exactly how they had treated her. Like some common animal at a zoo.

**~_Yours sincerely,_**

_**Mafalda Hopkirk**_

**_IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE_~**

"It wasn't improper, seeing as how muggleborns are allowed to perform one simple spell for their parenst or guardians. However, they're supposed to contact a professor to ask for permission first." Dumbledore said. The muggleborns looked at Dumbledore, interested. So they could perform one spell for their parents?

**~Dorea looked up from the letter and gulped.~**

Bill clutched Dorea even closer to him. If Dorea was guping it was bad. According to Ron she never showed any signs of being nervous or scared, and if she was she hid it expertly. Here she was openly showing her fear. This was bad. This was really bad.

**~"You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "For got to mention it ... Slipped your mind, I daresay..." He was bearing down on Dorea like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, girl... I'm locking you up ~**

Windows shattered as Bill and Dumbledore's magic swirled around them in their rage. Lily's hair was literaly on fire, James looked as though he was wearing the Grim Reaper's robe, Remus and Sirius had their teeth bared like the canines they were, Michaela's eyes were completely the same green they had been glowing before, even though she had known about this it still angered her to hear it happening again, Dan was spluttering angrily, Sierra was contemplating setting the Dursleys on fire, and Dante was considering drowning them. Cat, however, lost control of her appearance and had her complete Neko appearance active. Her ears were the same brown that Remus' hair was, her tail long enough to rest on her shoulder. Her fingernails transformed into claws, her eyes amber with slit pupils. Dante put a hand on Cat's shoulder to hold her back, but she refused to transform back into her human form. Hogwarts' magic flowed around the room, fixing the windows, calming the angered and the distressed, and putting the Dursleys in quite a bit of pain while it was at it.

**~You're never going back to that school... _Never_... And if you try and magic yourself out - they'll _expel_ you!"**

**And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Dorea by her hair back upstairs.~**

"In that case, if a Ministry official came and saw Dorea locked inside of her room the way that I imagine she had been, the Dursleys would have been arrested and Dorea would have been placed with a family she felt she could live with." Madam Bones informed. Vernon looked disappointed that his plan wouldn't have worked to begin with, even without the flying car.

**~Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Dorea's window after removing the glass panes so as to keep the air in Dorea's room from stinking up the house. He himself fitted a cat flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day.~**

James' eye twitched. He was going to kill Vernon slowly... Maybe introduce him to Moony on a full moon...

**~They let Dorea out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, she was locked in her room around the clock.~**

Molly had burst into tears and was uncontrollably sobbing. She hadn't believed her sons when they said this - it had all been true, it had all been true, and she hadn't believed it - Merlin, she was the worst mother ever!

**~Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Dorea couldn't see any way out of her situation. She lay on her bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to her. Dorea's only comforts were the letters that Dobby had dropped and Michaela visiting every night around midnight, bringing a bit of leftover food from her dinner. It was only thanks to the fact that Michaela was a monkey when it came to climbing things that she was able to do this.~**

Charlie hugged Michaela close to him and kissed her cheek, whispered thanks to the girl for being there for Dorea.

**~What was the good of magicking herself out of her room if Hogwarts would expel her for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, she had lost her only weapon.**

**Dobby might have saved Dorea from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, she'd probably starve to death anyway after Michaela left for school in September.~**

Dobby's ears flopped.

"The young master had told mes that miss Dorea Potter had been loved for and spoiled... I's was thinking that miss Dorea Potter was beings dramatic... I's was not knowing thats they's was hatings yous..." he sniffled. He had no idea that it was safer for Dorea Potter at Hogwarts, whether mortal danger was a factor or not, seeing as her family was clearly out to kill her...

**~The cat-flap rattled and Aunt Petunia's hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room. Dorea, whose insides were aching with hunger,~**

**Ron and Hermione flinched. Dorea never complained about being hungry, not even if she barely ate anything for a few days. For Dorea's insides to be aching meant that she was more than likely being starved close to death.**

**~jumped off her bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but she drank half of it in one gulp. Then she crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into her empty food tray. She ruffled her feathers and gave her a look of deep disgust.~**

Hedwig hooted and flew from her perch behind Bill over the Petunia, where she clawed at the horse-like woman's face. It wasn't enough to kill the woman, but just enough to harm the woman for starving her Mistress. When she flt she had done enough damage, Hedwig swooped back over to Dorea, who began primping and praising Hedwig for defending her Mistress against the mean old horse.

**~"It's no good turning your beak up at it - that's all we've got until Michaela comes tonight." said Dorea grimly.**

**She put the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap and lay back down on the bed, somehow even hungrier than she had been before the soup.**

**Supposing she was still alive in another four weeks, what would happen if she didn't turn up at Hogwarts? Would someone be sent to see why she hadn't come back? Would they be able to make the Dursleys let her go?~**

"Yes, I would likely come looking for you. If I saw how they were treating you I would have then taken you from them and had them arrested for child abuse." Dumbledore said, seeing how Dorea flinched a little at the idea of being an abused child. Had she not accepted that she had been abused? Or did she think that the abuse she faced wasn't bad at all?

**~The room was growing dark. Exhausted, stomach rumbling, mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Dorea fell into an uneasy sleep.**

**She dreamed that she was on show in a zoo, with a card reading UNDERAGE WITCH attached to her cage. People goggled through the bars at her as she lay, starving and weak, on a bed of straw. She saw Dobby's face in the crowd and shouted out, asking for help, but Dobby called, "Dorea Potter is safe there, miss!" and vanished. Then the Dursleys appeared and Dudley rattled the bars of the cage, laughing at her.~**

"Considering how you were being treated, not too weird a dream." Michaela said, growling as she remembered the bruises and cuts she had seen on Dorea's arms and her stomach when she would come to deliver food.

**~"Stop it," Dorea muttered as the rattling pounded in her sore head. "Leave me alone... Cut it out ... I'm trying to sleep..."**

**She slowly opened her aching eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone was goggling through the bars at her:~**

The Weasleys grinned at Ron and the Twins. So that's when they came into the book.

**~a freckle faced, red-haired, long-nosed someone.~**

Everyone snickered as they remembered who fit that description.

**~Ron Weasley was outside Dorea's window.~**

"Wait, her bedroom is on the second floor. How were you outside it?" James asked out of honest curiosity. Ron shrugged.

"It's in the next chapter." he said as Galandriel closed the book.

"Well then, who wants to read next?" she asked, looking around innocently.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 8,878**

**Short, but I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible. So please forgive me for it, but I've been busy working on other projects for school, both due on the 17th and one of them is on a powerpoint, so I have to use my dad's laptop for it and he gets home around 8 and I have to in my room at 9:30... I managed to finish it tonight, though, and will probably be doing my English ISU tomorrow and Sunday. After that, my History ISU is due on January 14th, so I'll have the entire Christmas Holidays to work on that. And yes, I say Christmas Holidays, because I'm Roman Catholic and Christmas is part of my religion. I don't care what religion you're a part of, if you insult me for saying marry Christmas I have two words for you: Fuck off. ;)**

**Review Count: 545**

**SWEET JESUS ON A PONY! I LOVE YOU GUYS TO PIECES RIGHT NOW! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING IN AND I MAY HAVE HARRY COME IN NEXT CHAPTER! Though I'll have to kidnap him to do that...**

**Review Goal: 570**

**I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN HIT THAT GOAL EASILY!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	23. Book 2: Chapter 3

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC!**

**And my ISUs are done(the entire Enlgish ISU only took a few hours, the Religion ISU took a lot longer than that...), and so I'm back in action guys! Wooh! *victory dance* Oh, and there's a part with Snape in this chapter where it doesn't involve any bashing or anything, just for the Snape lovers reading my story. (cough cough se2zno cough cough)**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: In my mind, Dumbledore figured that Voldemort had made Horcruxes after Harry shows him Voldemort's diary, but needed confirmation as to how many Voldemort would have made, if he had made more than 2. Yes yes, I'm still figuring out what's special about the silver tiger. So far, they hate all cats except kneazles, they can breath fire on rare occasions, and they're very protective. And strong, can't forget strong. Hmmm... It may take a while, seeing as she was still abused over the summer before her 5th year. And this was the shortest review you've ever given me.**

**ladyivory01: He'l probably make a guest appearance sometime in the middle of the chapter, the strangers will probably have to fix the problem and send him back to his dimension. But that will be interesting, seeing as how Dorea and Harry would have a lot to talk about. He may go back at the end of this chapter, or in the interlude that's coming up...**

**MistBlade8: I've done that to my brother. I just swear like that to my friends. *gasp*_ Where can I get one?_ Well, as for that, a House Elf can live off their own magic for a short amount of time, the limit being 2 years. So Dobby was able to get his job at Hogwarts in time to stay alive. *winces* I am so sorry for your loss... Hope I ogt this chapter up soon enough, amigo! PS: I was wondering when you would mention that.**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow: I love those open ended statements, it hints that Harry was abused but she doesn't get into it, and it leaves me tons of leeway for this story. So helpful! Yeah, the gift was charms - a wolf and a stag. Yes, Dumbledore will be talking to Dorea about the abuse soon. All your other points will become clear in later chapters, you just have to wait and read to find out what happens. ;)**

**~O~O~O~**

"I'll read." Anthony Goldstein offered. Using a vine that seemingly appeared from within the folds of her dress, Galandriel gave the book to Anthony, who opened it to the next page and smiled.

**~CHAPTER THREE - THE BURROW**~ he read. Everyone who had been at the Weasley's home smiled, that place was their second favourite magical building, second only to Hogwarts.

**~"Ron!" breathed Dorea, creeping to the window and sitting on her desk so they could talk through the bars. "Ron, how did you - What the -?"~**

Ron and the Twins started snickering while Dorea blushed, her reaction had been so funny that they couldn't help it. Merlin only knows how they didn't snicker the first time around.

**~Dorea's mouth fell open as the full impact of what she was seeing hit her.~**

Dorea began to join in with the snickers. It had been funny, now that she thought back on it.

**~Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in midair.~**

James grinned at Arthur.

"You made a loophole that made that legal, didn't you?" he asked. Arthur chuckled and nodded, grinning up at Madam Bones, the one to have passed that law. His friend smirked back at him, she knew that Arthur had put that loophole in place and intentionally let it through to let him have his fun with muggle inventions.

**~Grinning at Dorea from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers.~**

Dorea nodded at the two.

"Gred, Forge, you two were trying not to laugh, weren't you?" she asked. The Twins nodded, having no reserves like the ones they had back then now, and were laughing so hard they were crying at the memory.

**~"All right, Dorea?" asked George.~**

Charlie mock sighed and shook his head.

"Months went by and you could still tell them apart." he said wistfully, grinning as the Trio and the Twins laughed to their hearts content. Molly couldn't help but feel horrible, she had given birth to the Twins and she couldn't even tell them apart most of the time...

**~"What's been going on?" said Ron. "Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles -"**

**"It wasn't me - and how did _he_ know?"**

**"He works for the Ministry,"~**

"Wait, so because she's famous it means she doesn't get any privacy?" Dan snapped, glaring at the Ministry employees in the room. Sierra sighed as many people winced under his glare.

"Dan, it's like that in the muggle world too." she said. Dan's eyes snapped back onto her.

"At least then it's official reports on what happened! This is just them spreading around rumours!" he shouted. Dante's shoulders dropped as he sighed in resignation.

"Does your mother's_ gossip group_ ring a bell, Dan?" he asked. Dan's mouth opened and closed, he looked impressively like a fish. "But I do agree with you on one aspect, there should be privacy laws surrounding underage members of the magical society, especially orphans." Dante looked over at Madam Bones, who nodded.

"There will be after this. As well as laws behind news articles, unless they have sufficient proof and fact behind the article it has to be specified as gossip." she announced. The victims of Rita Skeeter's poison pen sighed in relief, finally something like that would happen. Maybe these books weren't such a bad thing afterall...

**~said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school -"**

**"Bit rich coming from you," said Dorea, staring at the floating car.**

**"Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with -"~**

"She already said it wasn't her, Ron." Fred reminded Ron. Ron glared at his brother.

"Why didn't you say that back then?" he demanded. Fred shrugged.

"We were busy getting the rope for the bars." he explained. Dorea and Ron both 'Oh'ed, understanding why Fred and George hadn't piped up back then now.

**~"I told you, I didn't - but it'll take too long to explain now look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'Il think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so -"~**

"You didn't really think that they would leave you there, did you sweety?" Bill asked. Dorea's face burned bright red as she felt Bill's hair tickle her neck from him leaning over. Dammit, he had to be doing this on purpose!

**~"Stop gibbering," said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us."**

**"But you can't magic me out either -"**

**"We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me."~**

People began to lean forward, this was the Weasley Twins they were talking about. It was going to be a good plan.

**~"Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a strong rope to Dorea.**

**"If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," said Dorea as she tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car. She noticed Fred's scowl at the mention of her relatives.**

**"Don't worry about that right now," said Fred, "And stand back."~**

"Good advice." most of the Order said as one.

**~Dorea slid off the desk and moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent.~**

"She's the most intelligent owl I've ever seen." Bill complimented. As Hedwig puffed her chest out in pride, Charlie rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"You know, I think Hedwig could be your familiar." he muttered. With those words, everyone who heard Charlie paused in thought. That would make sense, actually, as to how Hedwig was so intelligent when it came to things involving Dorea.

**~The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air. Dorea ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Ron hoisted them up into the car.~**

"They were wrought iron, they were extremely heavy." Ron explained when Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows. Lily looked a little confused.

"Wait, did that wake up the Dursleys or didn't it?" she asked. Dorea snickered and shook her head no.

**~Dorea listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys' bedroom.~**

"Wow. That would've woke me up for sure." James commented.

**~When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Fred reversed as close as possible to Dorea's window.**

**"Get in," Ron said.**

**"But all my Hogwarts stuff - my wand - my broomstick -"**

**"Where is it?"**

**"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room -"**

**"No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Dorea."**

**Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Dorea's room.~**

Fred and George both stood and bowed as all the Weasley children, excluding Percy, applauded their sneaking skills. Molly huffed and sunk back into her seat in disappointment. Honestly, they shouldn't be happy that the Twins could be cat burglars! Though, they were only trying to get Dorea away from the Dursleys...

**~You had to hand it to them, thought Dorea, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.~**

"AND _WHERE_ DID YOU LEARN _THAT_?!" Molly demanded. The Twins pointed at Percy, who pointed at Charlie, who pointed at Bill, who pointed at Sirius, who pointed at Remus, who pointed at James, who, in turn, pointed at Lily. Molly was gawking at a now flushing Lily while Dorea laughed, so her _mother_ taught her _father_ how to pick locks, huh?

"Wait, where did you learn that?" Bill asked Lily, confusion written across her face. To his surprise, Lily started laughing and grinned at Bill.

"I learned from one of Petunia's fun friends before Hogwarts. I think her name was... Maria Flinch-Fletchy." she said. Justin's jaw dropped and he began spluttering. Did she mean his aunt Maria, the one that was currently in jail for her B&Es? _That_ Maria Flinch-Fletchy? Those that knew Justin's last name turned to stare at him in shock. That - that was just unexpected.

**~"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "But we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."**

**There was a small click and the door swung open.~**

"They are, considering that most wizards and witches forget to Muggle-Proof their locks." Sirius said happily. Before he moved out of the Black House, his mother would constantly lock him in his room, and since James and Remus had already taught him how to pick locks by then, he would always get out and wander around the house, much to his parents' dismay and anger.

**~"So - we'll get your trunk - you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George.**

**"Watch out for the bottom stair - it creaks," Dorea whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.~**

"Good of you to tell them that." Moody nodded. Otherwise it could compromise their rescue mission if they had that stair creak.

**~Dorea dashed around her room, collecting her things and passing them out of the window to Ron. Then she went to help Fred and George heave her trunk up the stairs. Dorea heard Uncle Vernon cough.~**

"How have they not woken _up_ yet?" Astoria asked Daphne, who couldn't help but shrug. She didn't know what went through that muggle's mind.

**~At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Dorea's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Dorea and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.**

**Uncle Vernon coughed again.**

**"A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push -"**

**Dorea and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car.~**

Said two began to rub their shoulders, that trunk had been really heavy to push through that window.

**~"Okay, let's go now," George whispered.**

**But as Dorea climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind her,~**

Hedwig nipped Dorea's ear in a scolding manner. Dorea's face was bright red as she held her head in her hands, she couldn't believe that she had forgotten Hedwig, even if it was only for a moment.

**~that cause Dorea to feel a wave of panic, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.**

**"_THAT RUDDY OWL_!"~**

"Wait - so bars being pulled out of a wall won't wake him up, but Hedwig shrieking _will_?" Charlie asked in shock, his anger at Dorea having forgotten Hedwig forgotten in his confusion. Dorea shrugged.

"I don't pretend to understand him, I actually prefer to pretend that I don't know him." she replied.

**~"I've forgotten Hedwig!~**

Michaela scowled at her friend. How could she forget that _beautiful_ owl?

**~Dorea tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on - she snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, and passed it out to Ron. She was scrambling back onto the creaking desk when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door and it crashed open.~**

"This won't be good." Bill muttered and held Dorea closer to his chest.

**~For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Dorea, grabbing her by the ankle.~**

James hissed and glared at Vernon Dursley, who flinched. _He was dead, he was dead, Potter was going to kill him for that..._

**~Ron, Fred, and George seized Dorea's arms and pulled as hard as they could to try and get Dorea free from her Uncle's grip.~**

Dorea winced and rubbed her shoulders. That had hurt, like, a _lot_... The three Weasleys noticed this and winced.

"Sorry..." they chorused. Molly raised an eyebrow. She could never get an apology out of the twins.

**~"Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "She's getting away! SHE'S GETTING AWAY!"~**

"Wait, I thought he didn't want you in his house." Theo said in confusion. Michaela was the one to answer.

"In his eyes, it's better that she's there, unhappy and locked up rather than that she's at Hogwarts, happy and learning magic." she explained. Dorea eyed her friend warily, more than just a little nervous that her friend understood Vernon's thinking.

**~But the Weasleys gave a gigantic tug as Dorea's foot shot up and hit Uncle Vernon's chin, causing his teeth to go through his bottom lip. Uncle Vernon let go of Dorea's leg as he cupped his chin, trying to stop the bleeding.. As soon as Dorea was in the car and had slammed the door shut, Ron yelled, "Put your foot down, Fred!" and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.~**

Everyone began cheering and Arthur grinned. It was a good thing that he made that car then, wasn't it?

**~Dorea couldn't believe it - she was free. She rolled down the window, the night air whipping her now shoulder-length hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of Dorea's window. Dorea couldn't help but grin when she saw Michaela's widely grinning face popping up over the hedge, giving her dark-haired friends a thumbs up.~**

The Weasleys all stared at Michaela in shock. They were lucky that she was a Half-Elf, otherwise they could have gotten in a lot of trouble for what they did that night with the authorities.

**~"See you next summer!" Dorea yelled to Michaela, who saluted her friend and disappeared back behind the hedge. Dorea couldn't help but wonder why Michaela was so calm about the fact that she was in a flying car, but then again, Michaela's wasn't normal either, and so Dorea pushed the thought to the back of her mind and would quickly forget about it.~**

Ron and the Twins blinked. They thought that Dorea had been shouting to the _Dursleys_, not to her _neighbour_...

**~The Weasleys roared with laughter and Dorea settled back in her seat, grinning from ear to ear.**

**"Let Hedwig out," she told Ron. "She can fly behind us. She hasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages."~**

Michaela and Charlie both winced. Poor Hedwig, she must have been in so much pain, unable to stretch her wings for a month...

**~George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.~**

"Is that so?" Myrtle asked, looking up at the snowing owl. Hedwig's head bobbed up and down in agreement with her Mistress' description. Dorea, Ron, and the TWins chuckled and nodded as well, against the midnight sky Hedwig really had looked like a ghost. Molly, however, twitched at the idea that Ron knew how to pick locks as well.

**~"So - what's the story, Dorea?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening with you?"**

**Dorea told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Dorea and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when she had finished.**

**"Very fishy," said Fred finally.~**

People laughed as Moody nodded.

"Fishy indeed." he said.

**~"Definitely dodgy" agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"**

**"I don't think he could," said Dorea. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."**

**She saw Fred and George look at each other.**

**"What, you think he was lying to me?" said Dorea curiously.~**

"Well, no, we didn't. But if his masters had been lying and he thought they were being honest, then it would explain it a lot more easily." Fred explained, watching as Hermione and George unconsciously cuddled. T_hey were so cute together..._

**~"Well," said Fred, "Put it this way - house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea and Ron together, instantly.**

**"Draco Malfoy," Dorea explained. "He hates me."~**

Malfoy flinched at the idea, something Parkinson noticed.

"He doesn't hate you." Parkinson muttered angrily. Draco Malfoy was madly in love with Dorea, but he just didn't know how to show it. His father was the exact same way, he loved his wife dearly, as well as his son, but he didn't know how to express his feelings.

**~"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"**

**"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Dorea.~**

"It's not common in the either muggle world or the magical world. So he must be Lucius Malfoy's son." Sierra said knowledgably.

**~"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."**

**"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Dorea, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung - Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."~**

"That he _is_." Dorea growled, glaring at Malfoy, who glared right back at the emerald eyed girl. _Why did Dorea Potter hate his father so much? Did it have to do with last June?_

**~Dorea had heard these rumours about Malfoy's family before, and they didn't surprise her at all. Malfoy almost made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy.~**

Malfoy almost noticeably flinched. That... That hurt more than Dorea could imagine, hearing the girl that he loved think that he was so horrible...

**~"I don't know whether the Malfoy's own a house-elf," said Dorea.**

**"Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.**

**"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house..."~**

"That reminds me," James started, looking at Dorea. "You need to check up on the houses in you name to so that yuo can check up on the Elves you own." Hermione huffed and refused to look at Dorea. The way her friend treated Dobby, she would obviously be fair with her Elves and probably even forbid them from punishing themselves for doing anything wrong, just make them apologize and send them on their merry way.

**~Dorea was silent. Judging by the fact that Draco Malfoy usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; she could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house. Sending the family servant to stop Dorea from going back to Hogwarts also sounded exactly like the sort of thing Malfoy would do.~**

Malfoy flinched, he barely managed the summer without a picture of Dorea, let alone an entire school year. He would never attempt to keep Dorea from Hogwarts, either, since she was a witch of the Potter family. The Wizarding world was where she belonged, like she said in the chapter prior.

**~Had Dorea been stupid to take Dobby seriously?~**

"No, take any and all warnings seriously. It's a good way to practice CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody boomed, making almost everyone jump. He was very please to see that neither Dorea nor Bill jumped at all, though Remus was wincing and covering his ears. Oh, wait, werewolf hearing. His bad, he forgot.

**~"I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first -"~**

"That old thing is still alive?" Lily asked in shock. Arthur nodded his head as Lily stared at him in shock. Errol had been pressing old when she died, he must be ancient by now! Probably on his last wing, too...

**~"Who's Errol?"**

**"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Jus -"**

**"_Who_?"**

**"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front, distinct disdain in his voice.**

**"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him."~**

Percy flushed as the Twins, Ron, Hermione, Dorea, and Ginny all began to snicker. Charlie, Bill, Molly and Arthur all looked confused. What had Percy been doing with that owl that was so important?

**~"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room... I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge...~**

Everyone burst into laughter at that comment. Even Percy joined in the laughter.

**~You're driving too far west, Fred," he added, pointing at a compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel.**

**"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Dorea, guessing the answer from the sheepish look on Ron's face.**

**"Er, no," said Ron, "He had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."~**

Anyone who knew Molly snorted at their optimism. It was pointless, they were in for it when they got to the Burrow, anyway.

**~"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"**

**"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office."**

**"The what?"**

**"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare - Dad was working overtime for weeks."~**

"Your department is truly unappreciated, Arthur. We really should get a raise and some more workers, seeing as how easy it would be for muggles to have discovered us if we didn't have you and Perkins working. It think I may be able to convince Wizengamot that your department should be switched to a sector of the DMLE." Madam Bones said musingly. Arthur's ears burned bright red at the praise he was receiving from the most fair witch at the Ministry. "I'll see to it that you get a raise as well."

~"What happened?"

**"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose.~**

All those who lived in the muggle world winced in sympathy while those raised in the wizarding world laughed, having known about that happening to a bunch of different magical families as a prank.

**~Dad was going frantic - it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office -and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up -"**

**"But your dad - this car -"**

**Fred laughed.**

**"Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest.~**

The misfits gained dreamy expressions as they pictured that, while the students at Hogwarts were falling over in laughter at the image. Arthur himself couldn't help but chuckle, the idea of it was rather funny to imagine, wasn't it? Though, he would probably end up attempting to run away from himself... Merlin, that just made the image even funnier!

**~It drives Mum mad."**

**"That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes... Just as well, it's getting light..."**

**A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east.**

**Fred brought the car lower, and Harry saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.**

**"We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."**

**Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.~**

"You have such a way with words..." Bill sighed dreamily, running his fingers through Dorea's tangled hair. Dorea held back a moan as she felt Bill's fingers run along her scalp, it felt so good to have someone kindly brush her hair. The last person to do that was Aunt Petunia, and she had nearly tore Dorea's hair out with that comb.

**~"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground.**

**They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Dorea looked out for the first time at Ron's house.**

**It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked~**

Molly glared at the Twings, who were conveniently looking away. If it hadn't been for all the explosions those two had caused, the house wouldn't be _nearly_ as crooked.

**~it looked as though it were held up by magic~**

"It is." all the Weasley said, smiling at the description Dorea gave their home. It was accurate, but very true. And much better than some of the other descriptions that they had heard.

**~(which, Dorea reminded herself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.**

**"It's not much," said Ron.**

**"It's wonderful," said Dorea happily, thinking of Privet Drive.~**

"It's one of the greatest places I've ever been, definitely my second favourite place. Hogwarts would have to be first, though." Dorea smiled. The Weasleys all flushed at the praise, even more so when Lily and James nodded in agreement with their daughter's statements.

**~They got out of the car.**

**"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, `Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Dorea and no one need ever know we flew the car."~**

James and Sirius roared with laughter while Remus shook his head sadly.

"For pranksters, I am very disappointed in you. You two should have known better than to expect things to turn out like that." he scolded, making the Twins look rightly cowed at how the people they looked up to more than anything were so disappointed in them.

**~"Right," said Ron. "Come on, Dorea, I sleep at the - at the top " Ron had gone a nasty greenish colour, his eyes fixed on the house.~**

"_Aaand_ she's right there, isn't she?" Dan asked, chuckling at how Ron paled and nodded slowly. Dorea couldn't help but snicker, at the time she thought that Mrs. Weasley suffered from Biopolar Disorder judging by the way she acted.

**~The other three wheeled around. Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a sabre-toothed tiger.~**

"Did I _really_ now?" Molly asked, flushing a brilliant pink. As her sons and Dorea all nodded, telling her that she had, Molly's face burned from pink to red. She hadn't meant to scare her children like that, she had just been so angry...

**~"Ah..." said Fred.**

**"Oh, dear..." said George.**

**Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.~**

Anthony looked at Dorea, offering her the book. Dorea chuckled and nodded, clearing her throat as Anthony levitated the book over to Dorea. She took one look a tthe page and her eyes narrowed into emerald slits in focus.

**~"_So_, "she said.~**

People jumped at how Dorea sounded, it was like they were hearing the conversation from when it really happened.

**~"Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.~**

George winced at how Dorea repeated his voice from the time. It was jaunty, but certainly not winning. It almost sounded a little conceited...

**~"Have you _any_ idea how _worried_ I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.~**

"Guilt trip, then she starts scolding." Charlie sighed. He had been down that road so many times, and in the middle of the scolding she would compare himself to Bill. Perfect Bill...

**~"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to -"~**

**"You really should've let them speak, Mrs. Weasley." Dorea said suddenly, looking up at the blushing Weasley Matriarch.**

**~"Beds empty! No note! Car gone Could have crashed... Out of my mind with worry... Did you care? Never, as long as I've lived... You wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy..."~**

Susan's eye twitched as, once again, Molly was comparing her sons. Honestly, couldn't the woman see how damaging that was to children? Surely she must have hated being compared with others when she was a teenager...

**~"_Perfect_ Percy," muttered Fred.**

**"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job -"~**

"Wait, why are you comparing being seen with dying? It's not like all muggles are out to have witch hunts anymore, and besides, witch hunts weren't just to get rid of magicals, it was to shut up any woman that thought for herself or differed from the norm for women at the time. I mean, couldn't you just - Obliviate, was it? - the person that sees you to make them forget." Dan explained. People began spluttering, you know what? They really didn't know why it was being compared, and he brought up good points...

**~It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Dorea, who was slowly backing away.**

**"I'm very pleased to see you, Dorea, dearest," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."**

**She turned and walked back into the house and Dorea, after sending a nervous glance to Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her.**

**The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Dorea sat down on the edge of her seat, looking around. She had never been in a wizard house before, that she could remember, anyway.~**

"I can remember bits of that cottage now..." Dorea muttered, burying her head in Bill's chest for a moment. She levitated the book back to Anthony, who continued where Dorea left off.

**~The clock on the wall opposite her had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late. Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like _Charm Your Own Cheese_, _Enchantment in Baking_, and _One Minute Feasts - It's Magic_! And unless Dorea's ears were deceiving her, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."~**

Michaela and Fleur both made noises that conveyed how much they disliked Celestina Warbeck. Michaela honestly preferred muggle rock music, while Fleur preferred French magical songs. Lily and Dorea both scrunched up their noses, Warbeck sounded like a mermaid out of water. Or a banshee. Whichever was worse.

**~Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know what you were thinking of," and "never would have believed it."**

**"I don't blame you, dear," she assured Dorea, tipping eight or nine sausages onto her plate.~**

"That's a little extreme, Molly. She's not one of your sons." Madam Pomfrey tutted, taking note of that. Molly flushed, Dorea had been so thin, she couldn't help but want to keep feeding her... She knew from how Bill had made Dorea eat earlier that he felt the same way.

**~"Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really," (she was now adding three fried eggs to her plate) "Flying an illegal car halfway across the country - anyone could have seen you -"**

**She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.~**

"That would be so useful..." Michaela all but drooled. Dante narrowed his eyes in disagreement. He could wash dishes without a wand, easily at that.

**~"It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.**

**"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped at her son.**

**"They were _starving_ her, Mum!" said George.**

**"And you!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Dorea bread and buttering it for her.~**

"I thought that you - that you were exaggerating... I knew you wouldn't make something like _that_ up, but... I just didn't think that someone could - that someone could starve their own family _intentionally_." Mooly stammered. The Twins looked at each other and just waved it off.

"Explanation understood." the said simultaneously Molly sighed in relief, at least they understood what she meant back then. The Twins, however, were still disappointed with their mother. They would send Dorea prank materials every summer, pranks that didn't involve magic, so that she could keep the Dursleys confused and off her back. Their mother had never seen what they had, that Dorea was abused when she was at the Dursleys.

**~At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.~**

Everyone began to laugh as Ginny attempted to hide behind her hair.

"Yeah, well, I'd like to see how you'd react if you saw your biggest role model eating breakfast in your kitchen when you were 11!" she defended herself. Dorea couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Biggest role model?" she asked. Ginny's face burned bright red.

"Ah, well, you see - Ron told me that you were willing to risk your life to save the Philosopher's Stone - and I sorta saw you as the noble heroine that you kinda are..." was Ginny's stumbling explanation. Dorea huffed and glared at the ceiling.

"I'm not a heroine." she muttered. Bill narrowed his eyes and frowned at Dorea.

"Yes you are." he whispered to her, tucking Dorea's head under his chin. His eyes widened and he flushed as he felt Dorea's breath on his Adam's Apple. _Dammit_!

**~"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Dorea. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."**

**"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Dorea." Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time with Dorea giving the three Weasley boys the food that she knew she wouldn't be able to eat.**

**"Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and -"~**

"You really should let them at least take a nap, Molly." Madam Pomfrey adviced. Molly flushed.

"They took a rest after they de-gnomed the garden." she mumbled. Arthur patted his wife's shoulder, she had disciplined them and then allowed them to get the rest that they all needed. There was nothing wrong with what she did.

**~"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again -"**

**"Oh, _Mum_ -"**

**"And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and, unfortunately, Fred once again. Dorea sighed, she must have gotten the Twins mixed up again. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Dorea. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car -"~**

Lily and James were glaring at a flushing Molly.

"That "wretched car", as you put it, saved our daughter's life." Lily hissed out. Dorea looked down at her lap.

"More than once..." she whispered. Bill's eye twitched, so she put her life in danger once again in er second year, and now he understood what Dorea meant by him breathing on her neck being annoying. Her hot breath kept hitting all the sensitive spots on his neck...

**~But Harry, who felt wide awake, said quickly, "I'll help Ron. I've never seen a de-gnoming -"**

**"That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject -"~**

Those in their fourth year and above groaned.

"Not that ponce!" a Ravenclaw sixth year complained. "Don't tell me he's in this book a lot!" Dorea sighed.

"Sorry, but he is. He had a knack for turning up where he wasn't wanted." she said. Those who were taught by the blonde man nodded, that he did, that he did.

James, however, was confused.

"Lockhart, wasn't he two years below us, in Slytherin? The one that turned his own hair into peacock feathers?" he asked. Snape couldn't help but snicker at the memory, nodding. He remembered that, and it only helped fuel his hatred towards the arrogant prat.

**~And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece.**

**George groaned.**

**"Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden -"**

**Dorea looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasley's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words _Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests_. There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving; the wizard, who Dorea supposed was Gilderoy Lockhart, kept winking cheekily up at them all.~**

Dorea mimed vomitting all over the floor, making everyone who was taught by Lockhart or knew him from their school years laugh in agreement, that's exactly what they wanted to do at the thought of him.

**~She couldn't help but feel more than just a little disgusted as the picture of the man winked at her and blew a kiss.~**

Bill growled at the idea and clutched Dorea closer to him, feeling as though some beast in the deepest part of his heart was roaring angrily at the idea of Lockhart chasing after Dorea.

**~Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him.**

**"Oh, he is marvellous," she said. "He knows his household pests, all right, it's a wonderful book..."**

**"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.~**

Dorea shuddered at the idea, that creepy pedophile man... Not as bad as Voldemort, but still...

**~"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."**

**Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys slouched outside with Dorea behind them. The garden was large, and in Dorea's eyes, exactly what a garden should be. The Dursleys wouldn't have liked it - there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Dorea had never seen spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs. Needless to say, it was full of life and almost bursting at the seams.~**

Several of the aristocratic purebloods made faces at the idea, while many others smiled at the imagery. Dorea shrugged as she saw both sides, to each their own.

**~"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Dorea told Ron they crossed the lawn.**

**"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "Like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods..."~**

"Sounds about right." Dan nodded. His mother had some, said they were better than magical gnomes by long shots.

**~There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "_This_ is a gnome," he said grimly.**

**"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.**

**It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato.~**

Those who had seen the garden gnomes before couldn't help but laugh at the description, and those who hadn't seen one were just simply laughing even harder. That was a perfect description for the strange creatures.

**~Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.**

**"This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head ("Gerroff me!") and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso. Seeing the shocked look on Dorea's face, Ron added, "It doesn't hurt them - you've just got to make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnome holes."**

**He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.**

**"Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."~**

"That is pitiful, my record is 55 feet." Bill commented. Charlie began grumbling, he was a Seeker, not a Chaser. Throwing just wasn't for him, his record was 25 feet.

**~Dorea learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. She decided just to drop the first one she caught over the hedge, but the gnome, seemingly sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Dorea's finger and she had a hard job shaking it off - until...**

**"Wow, Dorea - that must've been at least fifty feet..." George whistled, impressed.~**

"Impressive, especially for a first time." Bill said, smiling at the girl curling up against his chest, yawning. She mustn't have slept well last night, she was doxing off right against his chest... Oliver beamed in pride.

"Dorea could be reserve for any position on the field - except maybe Keeper." he stated, making Fleur huff. Perfect Dorea Potter, able to do anything she wants... All because she's perfect Dorea Potter...

**~The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.**

**"See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on they storm up to have a look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put."~**

Bill chuckled.

"Nah, they love de-gnomings, they find them fun." he said, feeling Dorea's head droop onto his shoulder. She was beginning to fall asleep now... But she didn't want to make Bill carry her up to bed... But she was just so tired...

**~Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched.**

**"They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here ... Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny..."~**

"But they are!" Arthur insisted. Dorea nodded sleepily.

"Yeah, th-they really are..." she yawned. Bill kissed Dorea's forehead and ran his fingers through her hair again.

"Feel free to go to sleep, sweety..." he whispered. Dorea nodded and rested her head on Bill's shoulder, quickly falling asleep. The potion last night hadn't helped her rest at all...

**~Just then, the front door slammed.**

**"He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!"**

**They hurried through the garden and back into the house.**

**Mr. Weasley was slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes closed. He was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's. He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel-worn.~**

Arthur worriedly ran a hand through his thinning hair at the description, his hair wasn't that bad... Was it?

**~"What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned..."~**

The Weasleys now all turned to glare at Mundungus, who was bright red and attempting to make up an excuse for what he did.

**~Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed.**

**"Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly.**

**"All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets, but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness..."~**

"It would suck to work in that Department." Charlie said. Madam Bones nodded solemnly.

"There was one time, when I had just started working on the DMLE, that there was one charm that backfired, giving everyone who had been in the room at the time antlers for a month. They could hardly get anywhere because the antlers themselves were too wide to fit through doorways." she said, causing most of the Hall to snicker at the idea of seeing someone walking around with antlers jutting out of their head.

**~"Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George.**

**"Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasley. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it ... Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking - they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face...~**

"Actually, there are three things that muggles always lose without any explanation - keys, wallets, and remote controls. It's not really staring them in the face if it's keys - shrinking rings they would just assume that their fingers got bigger, but shrinking glasses would be more along the lines of staring them in the face." Dan commented. Arthur looked extremely interested.

"Is that so? Could you possibly tell me the function of a rubber duck then?" he asked. Dan chuckled.

"It was made to get children to take baths, you float the duck in the tub and tell them that they can only play with the duck if they get in the tub." he explained. Bill and Charlie began grumbling about how much easier a rubber duck would have made bathing Ron and Ginny when they were little as Arthur sat back, thoroughly impressed. Wizards never even thought about putting toys in a bathtub, that in itself was an ingenious idea to get children more willing to take baths.

**~But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe -"~**

People braced themselves for Molly Weasley to begin shouting.

**~"LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?"**

**Mrs. Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife.**

**"C-cars, Molly, dear?"**

**"Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, while really he was enchanting it to make it _fly_."~**

"Dad did more than just make it fly." Ron muttered so only Hermione and Susan could hear him.

**~Mr. Weasley blinked.**

**"Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if - er - he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth... There's a loophole in the law, you'll find... As long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't -"~**

Madam Bones couldn't help but laugh. "That's why I passed that law, so you could keep playing with muggle inventions the way you do." she said with a devious smirk on her face. Molly's jaw dropped as she saw Arthur began to chuckle - the two of them were in _cahoots_ in this? Amelia Bones actually _helped_ her husband play with those muggle inventions?

**~"Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Dorea arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!"**

**"Dorea?" said Mr. Weasley blankly. "Dorea who?"~**

"If Dorea was awake she'd be thanking you." Lily smiled.

Suddenly, there was a loud CRASH and a blast of golden light from the end of the Gryffindor table. Everyone covered their eyes until the light faded, and when it did, people stared at the person laying on the ground in shock. The boy was around Dorea's size, with unruly black hair, wire frame glasses that looked exactly like the ones Dorea used to use, and he had a fading lightning bolt scar on his forehead. The boy sat up, groaning and holding his head.

"Merlin damn it, that's the last time that I attempt to Apparate across a country... Last time it's over to Bulgaria, either..." he muttered, blinking and looking around. His eyes widened. "Uh - where am I?" he asked. There were three more flashes of the same golden light, but this time the strangers appeared.

"Dammit, Al, James, I _told_ you this would happen!" the female stranger shouted, clearly angry at the two men. Said strangers were slowly backing off from the tiny woman.

"Hey, Lils, the Grimoire only said it was a _possibility_, it never said that it would happen for _sure_..." the shorter male explained. "I know _you_ didn't think a cross-dimensional vortex would happen _either_..." The taller man took a step forward and cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes, this is an... Unexpected twist. Unfortunately, it appears the magic we used to bring these books back, as well as the magic to temporarily reverse death, created a rift in the dimensional thread, therefore resulting in the man you see before you." he explained, looking at the young man. "The world you're currently in is a world where you were born as a girl instead of as a boy. We'll start working on sending you back to your dimension, but it may take a day or two... So until then, enjoy having all these people read about your counterpart's life! Oh, and she's over there, sleeping on Bill's lap." the man said, happily pointing to Dorea and Bill. The dark haired man's eyes widened.

"Are those...?" he muttered, looking at the cloaked man. The man shook his head.

"Her parents, not yours. Er, well, _technically_, the two of you have the same parents... So maybe you two could pass off as... If you want, of course... Twins at the moment?" the cloaked man asked. The dark haired man shook his head.

"No no, it's alright..." he turned to face everyone. "Ah, well, my name is Harry James Potter, I'm currently 18, and just survived the second Voldemort War." he introduced himself. The cloaked stranger conjured up a chair at the end of the Circle for Harry to sit in. Harry walked over and sat next to Fabian Prewett, looking up at the auburn haired man.

"So, uh, what's happened so far?" he inquired. Fabian chuckled.

"Well, Dorea - female you - just got to the Burrow for the first time, and Arthur just came back home from work. Oh, and Voldemort wants Dorea to be his Dark Lady." he explained. Harry looked mildly disturbed at that last bit of information, but accepted it rather easily. So he missed the Philosopher's Stone, and came in before they got to the dangers in his second year...

After what felt like ages, Anthony found his spot in the book once again and continued reading.

**~He looked around, saw Dorea, and jumped.**

**"Good lord, is it Dorea Potter? Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about -"**

**"Your sons flew that car to Dorea's house in Surrey and back last night." shouted Mrs. Weasley. "What have you got to say about that, eh?"**

**"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right?~**

Everyone laughed, Harry's being the hardest.

"Good to know not too much changed from in my, er, dimension, was - where'd they go?" Harry asked, looking around for the strangers. Gideon shrugged.

"We don't know, they don't Apparate, but they seem to disappear into thin air... I think they're from the future..." he said. Harry nodded, looking at how his, er, female counterpart and Bill were snuggling close together. He couldn't help but smile. Looks like his female counterpart found her Weasley.

**~I-I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "That - that was very wrong, boys - very wrong indeed..."~**

People began to chuckle.

"You don't sound very convincing, Arthur." Remus said. Harry looked at everyone with sad eyes. So many people were here that died back in his, ah, dimension.

**~"Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Dorea as Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog. "Come on, I'll show you my bedroom."**

**They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way, zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Dorea just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.**

**"Ginny," said Ron. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy. She never shuts up normally -"~**

"Oh shut it, Ron." Ginny snapped. Harry felt his heart ache, he missed _his_ Ginny... His beautiful, brave, and so very strong Ginny...

**~They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.**

**Dorea stepped in, her head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace:~**

People began to chuckle at the comparison.

**~Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Dorea realized that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.~**

"Glad to see your Quidditch team doesn't change between worlds." Harry chirped happily. Ron smiled at Harry, so he was best friends with the other-dimension Dorea as well, back in their dimension...

Merlin this was odd.

**~"Your Quidditch team?" said Dorea.**

**"The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."**

**Ron's school spell books were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature _The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle._~**

Harry grinned, exactly how he remembered seeing Ron's room for the first time.

**~Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frogspawn on the windowsill, next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.~**

Those who knew who Scabbers really had been scowled fiercely, Harry gaining a cruel smirk as he remembered how Pettigrew had died. By the hand he begged Voldemort to give him.

**~Dorea stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window. In the field far below he could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasleys' hedge. Then she turned to look at Ron, who was watching her almost nervously, as though waiting for her opinion.**

**"It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that room you had with the Muggles. And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning ..."**

**But Dorea, grinning widely at her friend, said, "This is the best house I've ever been in."~**

"I can't speak for - it was Dorea, right? Well, I can't speak for her, but I can say it'll always be the best house I've ever been in." Harry said brightly, making all the Weasleys turn pink at the praise.

**~Ron's ears went pink.~**

Anthony closed the book.

"That's the chapter!" he called out as dinner appeared in front of everyone, letting them know that they were done reading for today. Bill looked down at Dorea, judging as to whether or not he should wake her up for dinner. Seeing her peaceful face, Bill decided it would be better to just let her sleep.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 10,586**

**Alright everybody, I've kidnapped Harry! Dorea will meet him and they'll talk later about what happens in his world that's different from her world. Like Bill and Fleur getting married, Hermione and Ron getting together, Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass getting together, himself and Ginny dating... Yes, it is your reward for hitting the review goal, people!**

**Review Count: 577**

**SWEET MERLIN GUYS! 577?! I LURVES YOU ALL!**

**Review Goal: 605**

**Alright guys, the goal is to get over 600 this time! I know you can make it!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**So please leave a review!**


	24. Interlude 4

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS 12/21/2012! That really sucks -_- The day the world is supposedly going to end I have school.**

**Also, I'd like to thank AbigailPaine for giving me another OC! She won't have a major role in the story, but she will have roles to play later on with the misfits. I'm thinking about maybe pairing her with Dan, actually... Know what? I will!**

**Finally, someone mentioned that I make the relationships between friends in this story a little abusive. I'd like to say that I write the reactions to this story off of the life I see around me, which involves friends whacking friends over the head sometimes. Also, I'd like to add that in the HP movies, Hermione occasionally hits Ron and Harry. So it's not exactly uncommon for friends to hit each other - I know that some of my friends and I will poke and flick each other just to be annoying.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**LM Ryder: Well, Lockhart kinda reminds me of a cowardly peacock, but I never really thought about that quote and of Lucius Malfoy - and wasn't his Patronus a peacock? I thought JKR said that truly Dark wizards and witches couldn't produce Patronuses... Or was it that they were just albino peacocks?**

**MistBlade8: YES IT IS HARRY POTTER! Yes yes, your question was answered. In Harry's dimension, at least. He may get back in time for the fourth book, he may get back before the second book ends. If he connects with Dorea's parents he connects with his own parents, so yeah, he might. Answers awaited, answers awaited! Hope you like this chapter, amigo.**

**griffindork93: True enough, that's all that you can say about them. Except Dudley. Dudley will be redeemed, mainly because he was taught by his parents to act the way he had. I'm gonna have fun creating the silver tiger, it's gonna be a rare magical creature. I pride myself on thinking up realistic reactions to what happens in the books, I mean, how would you react if your daughter was nearly killed by the same man that killed you? That's the sort of stuff I thikn about when I write the reactions. Exactly why I wrote the confusion, it doesn't make sense to me either. Heh heh... Well, James... Know what? It'll be in the Halloween/Samhain Interlude. No one, that's who :P Exactly, and it kept true to the plot the entire time as well :) I had so much run writing that scene, seeing as I had it pictured perfectly in my mind sine I started the chapter. I did say she came around midnight to feed Dorea, and that's when I imagine that Ron and the Twins came to save Harry in canon. I'm glad that you'r loving Michaela, because that means you're loving me :D He might... Maybe... Possibly... Haven't really thought about that yet... The rest of the Slytherins are making a transition, they're still absorbing the fact that Dorea almost gave in to Voldemort's wishes in the last chapter of the first book. Almost none of them know this right now, seeing as how Draco puts up the act that he hates Dorea. Parkinson is the only one that knows the truth about how Draco feels about Dorea, and why will be revealed soon. Well, he's not loyal to anyone, he's not brave in the slightest, and he most certainly isn't smart. So that means the only House left that Lockhart had any traits for was Slytherin. I did promise that I would kidnap Harry if my darling reviewers hit the goal, and since you did, I must admit that I hadn't originally planned on kidnapping Harry the way I did. The longest that I'm willing to let him stay is until the end of the third book, but that means that Harry would be there for Samhain and Halloween... So I'm not sure as to when I'll send him back. But I guarantee that he won't be there for all of the books.**

**bloomnskyrules: Well, the way he acted around Harry in canon makes me think that Lockhart would try to make Dorea have a crush on him, if only so he could use it to his advantage to gain more fame. Don't worry, Dorea will have a secret weapon that will keep Lockhart off her back most of the time. Yes yes, jealous Fleur is so much fun to write :) I can't wait to write that scene... *evil smirk* Possibly, not sure yet... You know what, I thikn they will! Probably in an Interlude! Well, as to how she and Charlie met in the books will be explained in the sixth book. And yes, I changed the name of Percy's owl simply because I made that error in a prior chapter (I think the first or second one) and I'm simply too lazy to go back and correct it. Jus is Latin for justice, so it fit.**

**ladyivory01: The next Interlude is right now. I'm sorry if you think it's too soon, but Dorea needs to go to bed ;)**

**~O~O~O~**

After dinner, people were sitting around and chatting, discussing as quietly as they could as to how the Dursleys treated Dorea when she got home from Hogwarts after her first year and after saving Hogwarts and essentially the wizarding world from Voldemort returning in 1992. The Slytherins were among some of the most angered. Dorea Potter had been treated barely better than many House Elves to Dark families. They basically attempted to starve her to death!

The Dursleys were getting a little anxious about the glares they were getting, especially Vernon from the way that James Potter was eyeing him almost evilly. He knew that the man would have no other choice than to kill him, but how was a very good question. Not to mention that that Dumb-door fellow had explained what should happen to Marge, Petunia, and Dudley if he were to die. They would all literally become property of Dorea's, she could sell them in the magical world if she wished to do so, she could do whatever she would like to them, and the law could do nothing about it because they were, in the eyes of the magical world, nothing more than property, less than human. But Dorea would never sell family members, instead she was far more likely to drain Vernon of all his money afterwords and then send them out to live on the streets.

Bill was currently adjusting a sleeping Dorea so that she wasn't breathing on his neck. He couldn't help but smile when he saw how calm she looked, it reminded him of when he had just taught her how to swim the day after the Quidditch World Cup. She had been so calm once she got the hang of swimming around, she looked almost like a mermaid. She was always the one to look at everything so curiously, she was worse than a cat. But he - dare he say it? - loved her all the same, for her faults and everything. In his eyes, Dorea was perfect just the way she was. Sure, she had her quirks, and she did have a tendency to risk her life, but she tried to be the best person that she could be, and that was all that mattered to him.

Harry was watching Bill and Dorea with knowing eyes. He could tell just from the way that Bill looked at Dorea that he was madly in love with her, it was the same way that Ron would look at Hermione from his dimension. Even with the scars she received from LeStrange, he always looked at her with such adoring eyes. He felt a pang as he thought about his love, his Ginny. Lucius Malfoy had hit her with an unknown curse after Voldemort fell, and she had been in a coma at Saint Mungo's since. It had been almost a year since she was admitted there, and Harry visited her every single day. He would always bring her daffodils her favourite flower, and tell her about what was going on outside of the hospital. He also knew that, if Dorea was as much like him as he thought, that she would be willingly to let him run off with someone else if it meant that he would be safe from Voldemort's clutches. But Bill would be a threat to Voldemort no matter what Dorea did, simply because he was a Weasley and was close to Dorea... Maybe he could convince Dorea to take Bill with her, if she went on the Horcrux Hunt like he did with Ron and Hermione...

Lily watched Bill with a smirk on her face. Bill was so hopelessly in love with Dorea it wasn't even funny. She knew that Fleur was trying to win Bill over, but she could do nothing to change Bill's feelings. The best part, in her opinion, was that Dorea tricked Fleur into that Magical Contract. Dorea and Fleur wouldn't have been able to notice her, since she had been under a Disillusionment Charm on her once she noticed that Fleur was walking up to Dorea. She had to admit, seeing Bill watching Dorea and Blaise dance had been very entertaining. His eyebrows had attempted to become one, his eyes had been sapphire slits, and his ears were so red Lily had thought that they were going to catch on fire. Not to mention that afterwards she had caught Bill threatening Blaise to stay away from Dorea. Oh yes, the oldest Weasley had it bad for Dorea.

Dorea was having the most pleasant dream that she has had in a long time. She was dreaming that the war was over, that she was getting ready for her wedding. Her dress was beautiful, it had bell sleeves, an empire waist that had a thick gold belt at the top, and had subtle embroidery down the skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun on the back of her head and wrapped in a net made of delicate gold chains and pearls. Hermione was her maid of honour, an engagement ring on her left ring finger. Hermione's dress was a beautiful emerald green, her hair pulled into a braided bun at the nape of her neck. Her bridesmaids were Michaela, Ginny, and Luna, each in a beautiful gold dress that matched Hermione's in all but colour. Sirius was the one that was going to give her away, his blue-black robes shimmering in the golden light of the sunset. Dorea could almost feel the butterflies in her stomach and the adrenaline rushing through her veins as Sirius walked her down the aisle, to where Bill was waiting for her at the end. His robes were black with gold and emerald lining, his long hair pulling back in its usualy ponytail, his horntail fang hanging from his ear. Beside him was Charlie, his best man, who was wearing black robes that had emerald tinges in the light. He was beaming at Michaela, who had a hand on her bulging stomach. Dorea couldn't help but smile in her sleep as, in her dream, she and Bill said their vows and Dumbledore married them.

**~O~O~O~ LATER - WITH BILL ~O~O~O~**

Bill had waited until most of the people in the Hall had left to their Common Rooms until he could bring Dorea up to the Gryffindor Common Room to put her to bed. Carrying the slumbering raven-haired beauty bridal-style, Bill climbed the moving stairs, all of which where helping him get to the Common Room as quickly as he could. When he got to Dorea's doorway, the door opened on its own, allowing Bill to enter the lounge, and to go further on into Dorea's room. He then set Dorea down in the bed, tucked her in, and went to leave when he realized that Dorea had an iron grip on his shirt. Sighing, Bill slowly pulled off his shirt and let Dorea curl up around it. He couldn't help but smile as Dorea muttered something in her sleep that sounded rather similar to his name. Bill leaned over and kissed Dorea's forehead, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"Goodnight, sweety." he whispered, running his fingers through her hair one final time. Instinct and courage took over as he whispered "I love you, sweety," in her ear before disappearing from the sleeping girl's bedroom.

Had he stayed for a moment longer, he would have heard Dorea mumble "Love you too, Bill..." in her sleep before snuggling up to the shirt that he left for her,

**~O~O~O~ LATER - WITH LUNA ~O~O~O~**

Luna was skipping through the hallway to Ravenclaw Tower when she noticed a shadowed figure emerge from the library. She jumped as the figure nearly ran into her, its black hood falling from its head as it jumped back to avoid collision. Luna let out a genuine grin as she recognized the 13 year old girl that appeared in front of her.

"Naomi! I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been? Have you found any Crumple Horned Snorkacks?" she asked. The girl, Naomi, looked up at Luna and smiled. Just simply by appearance, Michaela would have gotten along with Naomi perfectly. She was wearing dark skinny jeans, black converse that reached her knees with hot pink laces, a navy blue hoodie that was zipped up halfway, and a black lacy tank top. Her hair was blonde and pulled up in a high ponytail, her silver eyes lined with black eyeliner, and she was clearly attempting to hide from someone. The 13 year old smiled at Luna and hid behind her.

"I'm fine, Luna. Could we make the trip to Ravenclaw Tower as fast as possible? Peeves is hunting me again." she whispered, her magical voice echoing through the empty halls. Luna blinked owlishly.

"Were you hunting for your father again today? Naomi, you know how dangerous that is." she reprimanded. Naomi scowled at her friend good friend.

"I know he isn't dead, Luna, and I'll do anything to get out of that orphanage. It gives me the creeps, especially when the caretakers tell me stories of that Tom Riddle kid that was there close to 50 years ago." she complained. Luna sighed. Naomi couldn't see her mother because of the culture that her mother belonged to, and her father had disappeared a log time ago. Ever since, Naomi had been living in a muggle orphanage, left to train her powers on her own.

"Couldn't you summon some of his partners to help in your search for him?" she asked. Naomi's scowl deepened.

"Did you think that wouldn't be the _first_ thing that I would do? They said that they could feel his life force, but they couldn't feel where it is. That means that wherever he is, it's UnPlottable or under Fidelius." she explained. Luna frowned.

"Couldn't you send him a letter? I mean, owls can get anywhere, even if the land is UnPlottable or the place is under Fidelius." she asked, walking with Naomi to Ravenclaw Tower. Naomi shook her head.

"I've tried that, he must have an Owl Repelling Charm on him." Naomi clenched her fists and grit her teeth. "I need to find him, Luna! Before Voldemort gets his hands on him and his power!" Luna sent Naomi a look.

"I think you should be more worried about yourself, Naomi." she said, the dreamy quality of her voice suddenly gone. "You have the powers of both your mother and your father. You may not be a strong witch, but what you lack in magical strength you make up for in your abilities. Abilities that Voldemort would kill to have on his side. Have you asked your mother to see if Voldemort has contacted her people yet?" she asked. Naomi snorted, pulling a pastel teal letter out of her hoodie.

"I did. He has sent people to try and turn them to his side, but they just drowned them instead of even thinking about listening to them. They don't generally mix with wizards, or humans in general, remember?" she asked. Luna nodded solemnly, then smiled.

"Well, think of it this way - your father may be hiding from Voldemort because he knew that the bastard was never really dead." she sang. Naomi sent Luna a look that would be sending knives through her gut if it could.

"That means he forgot me, Luna." she deadpanned. Luna pressed a finger to her lip in thought before snapping.

"Well, you aren't a very strong witch, right? So Voldemort would just think that you didn't inherit his abilities, because we both know your father is a powerful wizard as well as having powerful necromancy. He could be doing to keep you safe in case Voldemort does find him." she said happily. Naomi nodded solemnly, hoping that was what her father, one of the last Necromancers, was really doing when he disappeared.

"Let's just hope that's what he was thinking, Luna. Because if it wasn't, I'll have to use my abilities on him." Naomi said mournfully. Luna smiled sadly at the younger girl, she knew exactly how much she hated using those powers that she had. They slowed down as they approached the brass raven that was the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. Luna patted Naomi on the back.

"Well, think about it this way - you could also call his partners to kick his butt." she joked. Naomi cracked a smile, and after they answered the riddle posed to them, they waltzed into the empty Ravenclaw Tower, arms linked like the best friends and soul-sisters they were.

**~O~O~O~ 3 AM - WITH BILL ~O~O~O~**

Bill shot straight up in bed as he heard the most powerful, ear-shattering, blood-curdling scream in his life. He practically tore out of bed, Charlie hot on his heels, as he ran towards the source - Dorea's room. Running across the Common Room, he barely noted that Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the Twins, his parents, and several other Gryffindors slamming their doors open or running down the stairs that led up to the dormitories in order to find out what was going on. Bill didn't think as he leapt over the sofa in Dorea's lounge, or as he practically ripped Dorea's bedroom door off its hinges as he attempted to get to the girl that had let loose a scream that had nearly scared Bill to death. The moment that Bill saw Dorea curling up in her blankets, sobbing and shaking like a leaf, he ran over, sat behind her on the bed, and pulled her into a hug. Dorea continued sobbing and shaking, but it calmed down a bit as she rested her head on Bill's bare chest and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back, running his fingers through her hair.

"It's alright, sweety... You're safe now..." he whispered in her ear. Bill barely noticed that there where other people in the room as he ran a thumb over Dorea's cheeks, wiping away the tears that were running down her cheeks. Hermione slowly edged towards the pair, placing her hand on Dorea's knee.

"Dorea, did... Was it June again?" she asked quietly. Dorea slowly nodded, tears running down her face.

"W-Wor-Worse tha-than us-us-usual..." she managed to stammer out in a murmur. Hermione nodded and sent Bill a knowing look before she went to the crowd around Dorea's door.

"Bill can take care of Dorea, she was having a vivid nightmare about last June. We need to get everyone else back in bed with as few questions asked as possible." she ordered. The girls would be easy to explain it to, they were more used to Dorea's nightmares, but the boys would be another thing altogether. Not to mention the misfits... Hermione shuddered at the thought of what Michaela would do to them if she found out Dorea was hurt because they were busy herding people back to their dormitories. Then there was also Cat, and Sierra, and Dante, then Dan... Merlin, if the misfits found out that Dorea was hurt in this time span, they were dead meat.

It took everyone helping almost an hour to get everyone back to bed, but they succeeded and, tired out themselves, went back to their own rooms to sleep.

Charlie didn't even notice that Bill hadn't followed him back to their room.

**~O~O~O~ WITH BILL AND DOREA ~O~O~O~**

Dorea had finally calmed down enough to explain to Bill her dream, vowing to herself that she wouldn't tell him everything that happened that night.

"It... It was the night of the Third Task... I convinced Cedric to take the cup with my, to make it a complete Hogwarts victory... He agreed and we... We took it... It was a Portkey, Bill, none of us knew that it was one... It took us to - to - to a graveyard..." Dorea's shaking began to worsen. Bill ran a hand up and down Dorea's arm soothingly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." he whispered, running his nose up and down Dorea's cheek. The 15 year old leaned into the touch, suppressing a moan as he kissed the corner of her eyes. It felt so good, like when he ran his fingers through her hair earlier...

"I-I want to... I need to... To tell someone... I haven't told anyone... What fully happened..."" she muttered. And I won't until it's read from the book, she thought, and looked up at Bill's concerned face again. "We both pulled out our wands, we thought... That it was another part of the Task that we had to get through... Then... Then Wormtail came... He had been carrying a bundle... And _he_ told him to... To..." Dorea muffled her sobs as Bill put it together.

"He told the traitor to... To kill Cedric, didn't he?" Bill asked, making Dorea nod.

"I... I saw it... I couldn't think... It was the first time... The first time I've ever seen anyone die... Wormtail tied me to a gravestone, and Nagini... Nagini was coiled around it, on the ground... She was there to keep me from escaping... If I managed to untie myself... I didn't have my wand... Wormtail, he... He dropped the bundle in a giant cauldron... Then he... He... He summoned one of _his_ father's bones... A rib... And dropped it in the cauldron... Then he took out a knife, and he... He... He..." Dorea shuddered. "He cut off his own hand..." she whispered. Bill felt his stomach plummet. The traitor actually cut off his own hand so as to bring back Voldemort? He was willing to do this? "Then... He waked over to me... He... He cut my arm... He took some blood... And poured it into the cauldron with him... And the bone... And the hand..." Dorea began to shudder violently. "And it brought him back... It gave _him_ a body..."

There was no questioning who _he_ was. _He_ was Voldemort, the man that was obsessed with making Dorea his. Bill kissed Dorea's forehead, brushing her bangs behind her ear.

"You don't..." he began, but Dorea cut him off.

"I do... I just... I just know it'll help... Like therapy..." she muttered, then giggled. "Guess that makes you my therapist, then..." she smirked. Bill stuck out his tongue and pulled on Dorea's cheek harmlessly.

"Then continue on, patient." he teased. Dorea couldn't help but giggle at the title, but she quickly grew solemn as she remembered that night.

"Then... _He_ had Wormtail robe _him_... And summoned the Inner Circle..." Dorea shuddered a little at the memory. "_He_ tortured them for abandoning _him_... Then gave Wormtail a silver hand... A hand that... That would prevent Wormtail from betraying _him_... A test of faith, I think _he_ said... Then _he_ turned to me... _He_ touched my forehead, my scar, said that... That _he_ was immune to my parents' protection... Because my blood flowed through _his_ veins... _He_ offered to make me_ his_ Dark Lady... I spat in _his_ face..." she smiled a little at the memory as Bill stared at her in shock. She - she actually _spat_ in Voldemort's face? "_He_ tortured me for that... Said if I accepted the offer then _he_ would stop... I still refused... _He_ tried the Imperius Curse... It didn't work on me..." Bill had to keep his jaw from dropped. She threw off Voldemort's _Imperius Curse_?! During the First Voldemort War, it was rumoured to be the strongest one since Mordred used it on his twin sister! "_He_... _He_ made me duel _him_... _He_ cast a _Crucio_... I cast _Expelliarmus_... The spells connected... I think Dumbledore called it... Um... _Prior Incantantum_... Our wands are brothers... They can't harm each other... I won, and echoes... Echoes came out of _his_ wand... First Cedric... Then a muggle... The Bertha Jorkins... Then my mum... Then my dad..." Tears threatened to fall from Dorea's eyes once again. Bill kissed Dorea's forehead and ran his thumb down her cheek. She was so brave, so much more brave than she should have to be. "They held _him_ and the Death Eaters back... Cedric asked me to take his body back... I just barely managed to... To get back to the Portkey and - and - and his b-body... I summoned the Portkey... And I grabbed Cedric's body... And you know what happened after that..." Dorea stammered. Bill nodded, he had been in the first few rows and had seen exactly what had happened after Dorea had gotten back. The false-Moody took Dorea away giving everyone the impression that he was going to take her to the Hospital Wing, Amos and Jessica Diggory cried over the body of their son, Dumbledore revealed who the imposter really was, they found out that Voldemort had been behind everything all year, and Dorea had fallen into a mild coma for a few days. He hadn't left her bedside at all during those days. Once she woke up was when he started eating again, though he suspected that Madam Pomfrey shoved Nutrition Potions down his throat while he was asleep. Bill felt Dorea's head droop one his shoulder as he began to slide down the headboard, exhaustion finally hitting the two of them at full blast. He could have sworn he heard Dorea murmur something, but he couldn't make it out through the fog that was him falling asleep.

Dorea didn't have another nightmare that night.

**~O~O~O~ THE NEXT MORNING ~O~O~O~**

Dorea slowly began to wake up, feeling the rise and fall of her pillow. The only other time she felt like this when she woke up was... Her eyes opened quickly as she looked around, her face beginning to burn as red as Bill's hair. They had fallen asleep while Bill was comforting her. Oh Merlin, this was embarrassing .. Dorea's face burned ever brighter when she felt something poking her leg. Was that...? She attempted to wiggle out of Bill's protective arms, only for the man to feel the shift of his blanket and wake up. Emerald eyes met sapphire, and both blushed a tomato red as they practically flew to opposite sides of the room. Dorea curled up in a little ball in the corner of her room as Bill fled, shouting that he would see her at breakfast. She felt her face heat up as she realized exactly how she had reacted to Bill's... Uh... _Yeah_, while he had been sleeping under her. Oh Merlin, that sounded so _wrong_! She slowly pulled herself up and trooped over to her en-suite bathroom. She wouldn't be able to look Bill in the eyes after this... But knowing everyone else, they would force her to sit on his lap anyway.

Oh Merlin, this was _humiliating_...

**~O~O~O~ WITH MALFOY AND PARKINSON ~O~O~O~**

Maloy stormed over to Parkinson, who was sitting at a table in the library. They still had half an hour before breakfast and the readings, and he wanted to know if the girl was having the same difficulties that he was having. Parkinson looked up from the letter she was writing. Her eyes narrowed as he sat across from her.

"Are you here about the letters you've been attempting to write?" she asked. Malfoy looked around once for eavesdroppers and nodded, leaning forward on the table.

"The most that I'm able to write about what's going on is that the Minister is here, as well as several other people that shouldn't. Do you know what's going on for this?" he asked. Parkinson sighed.

"The best bet that I've got is that the books are under a variation of the Fidelius. Only people that those strangers want to know about them and the readings will know about them. Other than that, I've got nothing." she explained. Malfoy nodded and sighed.

"So that means that if our parents do come, they wouldn't be able to even show the Dark Lord the memories of the readings. They wouldn't be able to speak of them, they wouldn't be able to write about them, nothing to anyone that doesn't know about them. And let's face it," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Why would the strangers want our parents here? I mean, my father I could understand, because he was behind what happened in our second year, but your parents I can't see being invited." Parkinson nodded, resting her head on the back of her hands.

"This is quite the developement, isn't it?" she asked. Malfoy nodded and stood up.

"It's best that we aren't the last ones in the Hall today, Pansy. It would attract unwanted attention." he said, strutting off towards the library doors. Parkinson watched as Malfoy left, lust and longing in her eyes. His power, his money... She wanted it so badly that it hurt... All she needed to do was get him drunk, take a fertility potion, and then tell him that she was having his child... He was honourable enough that he would marry her so as to prevent his heir from being a bastard.

She quickly made her way to the Great Hall. _Draco was right_, she thought, _I really don't want the attention that comes with being the last one in there._

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 5,628**

**It's really short, but _GAH_! YOU GUYS HAVE_ NO IDEA_ HOW _HARD_ THIS INTERLUDE WAS TO WRITE! I had the idea of Bill falling asleep while comforting Dorea after a nightmare for a while, and I finally used it - _BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS SO DIFFICULT TO WRITE IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY!_ I have only one excuse for this fact - _writer's block_. The damnation of every author and authoress. I rely on games to get the creative juices flowing, and most of them are creation games that you can find on the internet. Not to mention that LoZ: Twilight Princess actually helped A LOT... Same with music and walking around. Surprisingly, walking helps me think... Especially if I'm walking in circles. I really don't know why, so don't ask. But yeah, this is my most hated chapter. The only parts I really like are the scene with Luna and Naomi, and the scene where Dorea tells Bill what happened in the graveyard. That's about it. Oh, and I finally got around to explaining why there aren't Death Eaters around Hogwarts and at the readings! So yay to that!**

**Review Count: 622**

**OH MY MERLIN PEOPLE! THAT'S 17 MORE THAN I HAD HOPED FOR! YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST! Does this mean I can raise the review goal amount again? To 30 this time?**

**Review Goal: 650**

**I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN HIT THIS ONE EASY!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO PLEASE HIT THE REVIEW BUTTON!**

**And I apologize for this chapter being so damn short. AND MERRY CHRISTMAS! I probably won't post another chapter until after the 25th!**


	25. Book 2: Chapter 4

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**By the way, this is NOT an mpreg story! I only mentioned that because I like the idea of magic giving homosexuals the ability to have children with their own gender. Alright?**

**And, I uploaded a photo that I made of Bill and Dorea... It's on deviantart... The link is on my bio :) Please, go look at it and tell me what you think?**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Well, consider Harry's personality, I find it completely reasonable and something that he would happily do in canon. Hermione was the Maid of Honour because Michaela was pregnant and didn't want to make it too obvious by standing out, since she hadn't announced it yet. Yes yes! The words have finally been spoken! It will only take a few days for them to get together! They'll probably get together the chapter before Valentines Day, in case you wanted to know when. Naomi was totally not created by me, but I love her character already. I'm gonna have so much fun with her character, especially in the Battle of Hogwarts. Yes, we all now know the basics as to what happened in the graveyard :D And the only reason that Dorea never mentioned the unicorn's blood was because she still doesn't want anyone to know about it yet. Malfoy will end up with Astoria, just like in canon, so yeah, Pansy's plans fail on her. And again, I appreciate that you appreciate it. Merry Christmas to you too!**

**LM Ryder: That would make a lot of sense... I need to read that bit over again, the more I think about it the more it makes sense for it to be albino peacocks... Nah, I think his would be a basilisk... It fits his personality better, in my opinion, at least. Well, hope you like this chapter, since I'm updating it the day you gte back from your gran's!**

**MistBlade8: Merry Christmas to you too! Dorea left out the unicorn blood because she's still traumatized be it and doesn't want anyone to know for as long as possible. As for why Parkinson's part is there, she is one of the only people that Malfoy would actually talk to about that. As for her parents - her father is a Death Eater, so he would be able to report the readings to Voldemort.**

**bloomnskyrules: Yes yes, and they'll be getting together soon! I can't wait for that, because Hogwarts will have a brilliant sense of humour when it comes to them being together! Yes, Harry has been told about his family heritage and the Grimoire, no, Snape did not steal it in his dimension. Instead, he was supposed to go back to Gringotts to meet his Account Manager, but Hagrid forgot to mention it to him. Yes, Dorea and Harry will have a conversation soon, probably in the next interlude, which will also be another karaoke night!**

**honksfan4life: Oh wow, I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm glad that I was able to lift your spirits with my update! Those parts were my favourites as well, they were so much fun to write, if not just a little difficult. The waking up scene was a little disappointing in my opinion, but other than that, I love those scenes.**

**~O~O~O~**

It was the middle of breakfast and everyone was i the Great Hall. Everyone, that is, except Michaela. Charlie was looking around almost as though he was panicking, thinking that Michaela would pop out of any nook or cranny. He then turned to Sierra.

"Where's Michaela?" he asked. Sierra paused for a moment so she could think and looked at Charlie.

"The library." she deadpanned. Charlie nodded, finished his breakfast, and got up to leave the Hall. When he was out of earshot, Sierra turned to Cat. "He is so in love with Michaela." she smirked. Cat nodded.

"Yeah, and didn't she tell him about him?" she asked. Sierra nodded slowly, deep in thought. It had taken her months to tell even them what had happened, but she's barely known Charlie Weasley for a week and she had already told him what had happened to her. She must be falling for Charlie, fast...

Umbridge stood and cleared her throat, holding up the book.

"Now, who would like to read next?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice. Remus cleared his throat and raised a hand, glaring at the toad-like woman.

"I'll read." he said. Umbridge scowled, but levitated the book over to him anyway. Filthy werewolf, thinking he can address me... she thought, glaring at the man in his mid thirties. Remus opened to the nfourth chapter and began to read.

**~CHAPTER FOUR - AT FLOURISH AND BLOTTS~** he said. The Weasley boys that had been there all grinned wickedly at the memory, Ginny began to snicker, and Molly frowned. That had been such a humiliating event... Bill looked at his father in confusion. Why did he have such a victorious look on his face?

**~Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive.~**

"That's a good thing." Dan nodded. That meant that the Burrow was unique, full of life, happiness, and healthiness. Privet Drive was cookie-cutter, almost dead inside, had a stiff air to it, and was the residents were unhealthy in one extreme or the other.

**~The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered;~**

Those who were slobs just shuddered at the idea. How could someone _like_ a house like that?

**~the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected.~**

"That sounds delightful." Naomi said happily. Dan sent her an odd look, Luna had literally dragged her from the Ravenclaw table over to the Circle, introduced her to everyone, and sat her down in between himself and Luna. Most of the people in the Hall seemed genuinely surprised to see her, many of the people either in her year or professors that taught her didn't seem to recognize her. She had remained silent until now, and Dan could see why. Cat was staying as far away from Naomi as she could, while Dante kept trying to get closer. Cat had complained that she smelt like death, while Dante said that she felt like the sea. She was quite the mystery, wasn't she...

**~Dorea got a shock the first time she looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece~**

James nodded, so she was surprised by the Weasley's enchanted mirror, was she?

**~and it shouted, "Tuck your shirt in, pretty!"~**

"That mirror is weird." Dorea said. Ron and Hermione shared exasperated looks - she _still_ hadn't noticed that the mirror had called her pretty.

**~The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal.~**

James and Sirius exchanged equally devilish grins. They knew exactly what was going on in their room, since they had done the same things whenever Sirius was over at the Potter Manor. They were developing prank items, and were either planning on a prank shop that would put Zonko's out of business or they were planning on using them on Filch. Either way, they approved.

**~What Dorea found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like her.~**

"That shouldn't _be_ unusual." Bill muttered. Dorea shrugged.

"Not everyone at Hogwarts likes me, so yeah, it was unusual at the time. Now I'm starting to get used to it." she said, looking up at the older man. Today she was sitting in between Bill and her mother. Suddenly, the memory of that morning flashed in her mind and Dorea nearly snapped her neck from looking away so quickly, her face burning a deep crimson.

**~Mrs. Weasley fussed over the state of her socks or her hair and tried to force her to eat fourth helpings at every meal.~**

Dorea made a small face, she had been full by the time third helpings came around, but then felt starving when dessert came around. Everyone else, on the other hand, smiled thankfully at Molly. Dorea was someone that not only deserved to be fussed over, but needed it as well. She needed affection, as she had missed out on it for most of her life.

**~Mr. Weasley liked to have Dorea sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard her with questions about life with Muggles, asking her to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.~**

Molly shook her head fondly at her husband. She only got angry at Arthur playing with muggle inventions because most of it was illegal, but other than that she loved her husband for everything that he was.

**~Dorea was only far too happy to explain things for the intrigued man.**

**"Fascinating," he would say as Dorea talked to him though using a telephone. "Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."~**

"It's science, though I suppose that science doesn't really apply to the wizarding world." Dan looked over at Ron. "Can you tell me some of the things that are commonly known in the wizarding world that would be impossible in the muggle world?" he asked. Ron looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

"Well, there's the Floo system, there's flying, Apparating, Extension Charms, re-growing bones and organs, same gender pregnancies..." he listed. Dante held up a hand.

"Woah woah woah, hold up - guys can get guys _pregnant_ here?" he asked. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, and girls can get girls pregnant. Usually a potion or charm is used to ensure pregnancy, but same gender marriages and relationships are a lot more common in the magical world than muggleborns would think." he explained. Dante looked amazed.

"So if I got married to a wizard, I could have a baby?" he asked. Ron nodded.

"There's also Blood Adoption, which is similar to muggle adoption, only the child becomes your blood child, even though you weren't related to the birth parents." he explained. Dante sat back in his seat, amazed. He could have a child. He thought he would never be able to have a child, because Nymphs weren't usually homosexual or even bisexual, they were generally either asexual or heterosexual. _Muggles couldn't have children with someone of their own gender, but with magic.._. He pressed a hand to his flat stomach. _He would be able to have a baby..._

**~Dorea heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after she had arrived at the Burrow.~**

Dorea smiled happily at the memory.

**~She and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Dorea, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter.~**

Everyone laughed as Ginny blushed. Merlin, she had been such a fangirl!

**~Dorea finally understood why, since she and Ginny were sharing a room. She had found Ginny's Adventures of Dorea Potter books when she was looking for a sock. After reading those books, Dorea had to admit, if she had just met herself for the first time after growing up with those books, she would be quite a fan as well.~**

Ginny beamed at Dorea, who smiled back. Finally she was having some of the blame taken off of her for her actions!

**~Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over or running into things whenever Dorea entered a room.~**

People only began to laugh even harder, making Ginny's blush worsen. Theo patted Ginny's shoulder in a comforting fashion, something that made all the Weasley males in the Hall glare a the brown-haired Slytherin. They could care less about his House, since they were friends with someone who was pretty much half-Slytherin, but it was the fact that he was practically flirting with their baby sister that annoyed them. Michael Corner, on the other hand, was glaring at Theo icily. Ginny had broken up with him a few days ago when she caught him making fun of Dorea for being raised by muggles. Ginny hadn't given him a moment to even speak when he was around her, instead starting a conversation with someone else._ If she got together with that stupid Slytherin ponce..._

**~She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun.~**

Ginny was currenly hiding her face behind her scarlet hair, trying to keep people from seeing that it was glowig the same way that it had been back then.

**~Pretending she hadn't noticed this, Dorea sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered her.~**

"Thanks for that..." Ginny muttered. Dorea smiled cheekily.

"No problem, Gin!" she said happily. Bill shook his head at Dorea, she was such a cheeky little witch.

**~"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Dorea and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink.~**

"Why is it _always_ green?" Ron asked out of curiosity. McGonagall shrugged.

"It's my family colour, and one of my personal favourites." she said simply. Ron nodded, that would make a lot of sense as to why McGonagall was always seen in either emerald or tartan robes.

**~"Dumbledore already knows you're here, Dorea - doesn't miss a trick, that man. He even sent you a package, it's right here. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their dirt-stained pyjamas.~**

Fred and George grinned at each other. Those pyjamas had been stained with dirt because of one of their experiments, Dirt Bombs. Similarto Dungbombs, only instead of letting out a stench when it exploded it would let out a cloud of dust and would cover everything in the cloud in the substance.

**~Dorea first opened the letter, pulling the simple borwn-wrapped package into her lap. For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters.**

**Dora's told her to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of new books that she'd need for the coming school year.**

_**SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:**_

_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 **__**by Miranda Goshawk**_

_**Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

_**Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart**_

**_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_~**

"Those books were ridiculous that werewolf would have torn him apart and eaten him before he cuold even pull out his wand." Lupin sniffled angrily, knowing from experience. Umbridge rolled her eyes. _Stupid, filthy werewolf... Ought to be given the death penalty for just existing..._

**~Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Dorea's.**

**"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan - bet it's a witch.~**

"He was close enough to one." Fred shrugged.

**~Uh, you know, a girly-girl witch?" he added, seeing Dorea's icy glare.~**

George chuckled, Fred had set himself up for this bit.

**~At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade to avoid saying something that would make him face the wrath of two very angry witches.**

**"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive..."~**

"You shouldn't have to worry about money, that's the parents' jobs." Sirius said sadly. Bill sighed.

"You guys know that you can always ask Charlie and I for money if you need it, right? Especially if it's for school things. And no, mum, dad, it isn't charity, it's helping out family." he said before his parents could complain. Dorea smirked, eyeing an owl waiting up near the rafters. It was a Gringotts owl, which means that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be getting news about the transfer soon... And they couldn't return the money, either, that was the best part, at least in her opinion...

**~"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."~**

Dorea's eyes narrowed and she sighed. If only she had known back then, they wouldn't have had such difficulty with money...

**~"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Dorea asked Ginny.**

**She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.~**

Ginny winced as Dorea chuckled.

"You were quite the klutz that summer..." she teased, only to dodge a well-aimed Bat Bogey Hex from Ginny. Instead, it hit the sofa. She sat herself back on the sofa, resting her head against Bill's arm, which was up against the back of the sofa. Subconsciously, she leaned over and rested her head on Bill's shoulder, not noticing how Bill blushed a bright red as he remembered what had happened that morning. _Damn morning wood..._

**~Fortunately for Ginny, no one saw this except Dorea, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.~**

"Why were you wearing your prefect badge? It was during the holidays..." Lily asked. Percy narrowed his eyes, a from on his face.

"I... Don't... Know, actually..." he said. Umbridge shuffled in her seat - Lady Clearwater may have mentioned that her daughter had been dating the third Weasley boy at the time, and she may have given the Lady a polish that her daughter had given to Percy... And that polish _may_ have had a few drops of Conceit Potion in it...

**~"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."**

**He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, gray feather duster - at least, that was what Dorea thought it was, until she saw that it was breathing.**

**"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally - he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."~**

"Rescue is the perfect way to describe what happened." Lily ground out. Everyone nodded in agreement, it had been horrible, the way the Dursley had treated Dorea.

**~He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic."~**

"More like old." Galandriel hissed, glaring at Ron. "He's probably on his last wing at the time we're reading about, and it's not pathetic for him to be exhauseted because of that." Ron flinched under the High Elf's cold glare.

**~Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:**

_**Dear Ron, and Dorea if you're there(which you probably are by now),**_

**_I hope everything went all right and that Dorea is okay_~**

"By then she was safe and alright. Before, however, she wasn't." Bill ground out. He wanted to be the one to murder those Dursleys, but James already had claim on Vernon. And knowing Lily, she would want to maul Marge. Dorea seemed to forgive Dudley for his actions, so that left Petunia. There would be others that wanted to kill her, but still... He would be the one to end Petunia Dursley for everything that she did to her neice, her blood related neice.

**~_and that you didn't do anything illegal to get her out, Ron, because that would get Dorea into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Dorea is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish your one off. Maybe you should use Hedwig, I haven't seen her in ages and it would just confirm that Dorea is there._~**

Dorea smiled happily. She knew what she was going to get the Weasley family as a Samhain gift now.

**~_I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course-_**

**"How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on vacation!"~**

"You get summer assignments." McGonagall said, sending Ron a disapproving look. He shrugged.

"What with rescuing Dorea, I had forgotten." he said simply. McGonagall nodded, accepting that, although a little grudgingly. Ron was lucky that he got his homework done that summer.

**~_-and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley? Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. And Ron, be sure to explain to me how you found Dorea, because I know that she won't if she can help it._**

**_Love from Hermione._~**

"Love?" Ginny teased. Hermione shrugged, not really caring.

"I was writing to my best friends and younger siblings. Of course I love them." she said simply. Ron grinned and hugged Hermione, Dorea blowing her older sister a kiss.

**~_P.S. Yes, Ron, homework. Assigned by our professors at the end of the school year, after exams? Remember it now?_~**

Everyone laughed at Hermione's postscript. They would never have expected that Gryffindor's resident bookworm would be able to write so sarcastically like she had. Maybe none of them really knew the Golden Trio as well as they thought they did...

**~"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"~**

"Quidditch." the Gryffindors all said in unison. With the Twins and Dorea, plus Ron, there was no way they would be doing anything else.

**~Dorea, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. However, they couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for one another to catch.~**

"We could buy you muggle sports balls, a football(soccer ball) would be the Quaffle, two softballs would be the Bludgers, and a golf ball would be the Snitch." Dorea said musingly. Hermione nodded in agreement, she may not play Quidditch, but she kept scores for the Weasley family when they played in the orchard. She could have easily kept throwing the golf ball around to distract the Seekers.

**~They took turns riding Dorea's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom;~**

Everyone nodded, the Twins had Cleansweeps, and Ron hadn't had his own broom at the time.

**~Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.~**

Everyone couldn't help but snort, while Ron huffed.

"Those butterflies were fast, alright?" he asked. Ginny giggled.

"Yeah, and that's _totally_ why I would walk past your broom and go straight for the Twins' brooms whenever you guys weren't looking." she snickered. Ron flushed bright red and sank in his seat, only to be patted on the head by Susan.

"Awe, is poor Ronnie upset that he had a crap broom?" she teased. Ron glared a tickled Susan's side, only for the redheaded girl to squeak and attempt to jump from his reach. Ron smirked and started tickling Susan mercilessly.

**~Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy. Dorea had only seen Percy at mealtimes so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.**

**"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L's and he hardly gloated at all."~**

"Oi!" Percy shouted, making the Weasley laugh.

"What? Even Bill gloated a little when he got 12 OWLs!" Ron pointed out. Percy shrugged, he was caught there. Gloating at 12 OWLs was common.

**~"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Dorea's puzzled look. "Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."~**

"I was Head Boy!" James said happily, though he was a little annoyed that Fred and George didn't like Head Boys. Sirius snorted at his brother.

"Dumbledore must have gone mad with that decision, you abused the privileges to cause more pranks. I think you nearly gave Minnie," he dodged yet another hex from McGonagall. "Multiple heart attacks. Worst part was, Lilypad hardly attempted to hold you back because your targets were people that were known to become Death Eaters and had been attacking muggleborns." he explained. James smiled and nodded, a wistful look on his face as he remembered those pranks.

"But he was a pretty cool Head Boy too, seeing as how he would let people off for little things and you could always go to him if you were being bullied or if you needed help with something." Fabian pointed out. Dorea beamed as she learned more about her parents, Harry listening with extreme interest. These may not be his parents from his realm, but they couldn't differ all that much,, now could they? _I mean_, he thought,_ they even explained to me about how to become Lord Potter and about the Potter Grimoire from my dimension... So they must see me at least as similar to Dorea..._

**~Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Dorea had never met either of them, but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.**

**"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything "~**

"You really shouldn't have to worry about things like that." Arthur sighed. They had only been 14 at the time, they really shouldn't have to worry about things like money back then. They should have been worried about school, about friends, about girls...

It was at this moment that the Gringotts owl chose to swoop down, landing on the table in front of Arthur and holding out its leg with the envelope attached. Surprised, Arthur took the envelope and opened it slowly. As he read the ivory parchment, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened comically. He nudged Molly and handed the letter to her, only for her to clasp one hand over her mouth and the other over her heart, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. They both looked at Dorea.

"Wha- You- But-" Arthur stumbled. Dorea smiled at him.

"Consider it repayment for everything - taking care of me, the car, the Quidditch World Cup, oh, and that trip to Romania that you're taking me on this coming summer. Don't even think about cancelling that, the trip is planned and everything." she said, polishing her nails on her t-shirt. All the Weasleys stared at Dorea in shock, knowing exactly what she must have done. Given them a large amount of money. "Oh, by the way, everyone in their fourth year and up is getting a refund for those Lockhart books. Well, the ones that need the refund, at least." she said thoughtfully Dumbledore smiled proudly at Dorea, he had wanted to do something along those lines, but the Hogwarts budget and even his own bank account together could never afford it.

**~Dorea said nothing. She felt a bit awkward. Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that her parents had left her.**

**Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that she had money; you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts in Muggle shops. You could, however, exchange them for muggle money, as Dorea saw some muggleborns doing the last time she was at the wizarding bank.~**

"There's also Half Alley, which has a bunch of muggle clothing shops, hobby shops, and other things that you can't usually find in Diagon Alley." Dorea added. "I went there during the summer before my third year, it's where I got my new wardrobe."

**~She had never mentioned her Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; she didn't think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.~**

"That was pretty smart of you." Daphne nodded. "Or rather, very Slytherin of you."

**~When they all returned to the Burrow, Dorea took the package that Dumbledore had sent her up to Ginny's room and, sitting on the makeshift bed that Mrs. Weasley had set up for her, opened it. It was a spell book, but the theme of it... The idea of actually being forced to use the spells that were listed made Dorea's face burn a brighter pink than Ginny's walls. She was flipping through the table of contents when Ginny walked in, stumbling over the upturned floor mat that Dorea had accidentally kicked up in her rush to her bed.**

**"Uh, sorry about that." Dorea said, rubbing the back of her head. Ginny looked at the book Dorea was holding curiously, forgetting about having embarrassing herself. Dorea quickly attempted to hide the cover using the wrappings.**

**"What's that?" she asked. Dorea's face burned an even brighter pink.**

**"N-Nothing..." she stuttered. Ginny raised an eyebrow, and turned around as though to grab something from her shelf. Dorea made the mistake of releasing the book, because once she let go of her grip on it****, Ginny rocketed over and grabbed it****, taking a look at what the title was. She turned her head, looking from Dorea's bright red face to the book, before she dropped it and fell to the floor in laughter.~**

"Why? What was the book title?" Bill asked. Ginny, who was laughing once again, shook her head and wiped away tears that had sprung up from her laughter.

"Y-You'll see..." she said before falling over onto Theo from laughing so hard. Ron's eye twitched, but seeing Theo's uncomfortable face changed his mind from his decision to grab Ginny and keept her away from the Slytherin. He clearly hadn't been expecting this either.

**~Mrs. Weasley must heard Ginny's laughter, because she quickly came to the door and entered the small bedroom.**

**"What is it, Ginny? Dorea?" she asked. Ginny, not able to speak, just simply pointed to the book on the ground and then at Dorea, conveying a silent message. Mrs. Weasley picked up the book and read the title, biting the joint in her index finger. "Oh my..." she whispered, non-existent chuckles shaking her shoulders. Dorea pouted and glared at the ground.**

**"Yes yes, we get it! Funny that I got a book based off _that_, isn't it?" she asked. Molly couldn't help but giggle as she handed the book back to Dorea, title side up.~**

Dumbledore chuckled. He had had a lot of fun sending that book to Dorea as a birthday gift.

Remus, reading the title of the book before he read it aloud, couldn't suppress the chuckles. Dumbledore had quite the sense of humour, didn't he?

**~_1001 Curses, Jinxes, and Hexes to Protect Your Virture_ was visible on the cover page, written in bold, crimson lettering.~**

No one could hold back as almost everyone fell over laughing. The Bulgarians, however, nodded in approval.

"Seeing as houv she is a celebrity and that many men vould attempt to take advantage of her, that is a good idea as a gift for her." Ivankov said through a very thick accent. Dumbledore smiled as James and Lily nodded as well, happy that Dumbleore got Dorea something that she could use, even though it was something that they all hoped that she would never have to use.

**~Dorea quickly hid the book under her pillow. She would probably read through it if she ever had a reason to, but other than that, it would remain at the bottom of her trunk for all eternity.~**

"Wow, dramatic much." Bill teased, poking Dorea's glowing pink cheek. Dorea glared up at him, but the moment their eyes met, they couldn't help but remember that morning and quickly turned away from each other. Lily and James looked at the pair in confusion. What brought on this embarrassment?

**~Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.**

**"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Dorea dear!"And she offered her the flowerpot. Dorea stared at them all watching her.**

**"W-what am I supposed to do?" she stammered.**

**"She's never travelled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Dorea, I forgot."~**

"I don't know how, but she just adapts to everything that happens around her." Ron said. Dan nodded, knowing what Ron was talking about.

"It's a trait that abused children usually share, in order to survive we learn to adapt quickly." he said. He may not have been abused by his parents, but he was abused by his relatives. He had learned quite quickly how to adapt to life in his aunt and uncles' houses so as to prevent himself from getting injured too much. Dorea flinched at the idea of being a statistic, but nodded in agreement. She had learned how to adapt quickly because of her life with the Dursleys.

**~"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"**

**"I went on the Underground -" Mr. Weasley cut Dorea off in his excitement.**

**"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators?~**

The muggleborns and raised all chuckled at Mr. Weasley.

"It's _escalators_, Mr. Weasley, not escapators. Though you were very close." Hermione said. Arthur nodded, writing that down to make sure he would remember that for later.

**~How exactly -"**

**"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before -"**

**"She'll be all right, Mum," said Fred.~**

"Well, I was." Dorea chuckled along with the Weasley that had been there that day. She may have gotten lost, but she was alright in the end.

**~"Here Dorea, watch us first."**

**He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.~**

"THAT IS _SO COOL_!" several muggleborns who have never seen the Floo System before shouted, stars shining in their eyes. Dorea smiled.

"It is pretty awe-inspiring when you watch it for the first time." she said with a dreamy look on her face. Dan nodded, he had seen relatives Floo out of and into houses during his visits. He could still remember the first time that he had ever seen his grandfather appear out of the fireplace in his living room on Christmas one year...

**~"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Dorea as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate..."**

**"The right _what_?" said Dorea nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.**

**"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly -"~**

"You're only confusing her, Molly. All you need to do is speak clearly and wait for the fire to kick you out. Just make sure you don't fall on your face when you get out." James explained, touching his glasses. "And keep your glasses in your pocket, otherwise they'll break if you aren't used to the Floo." All those that had never used the Floo before nodded, he made it much clearer than the Weasleys were.

**~"She'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too.**

**"But, dear, if she got lost, how would we ever explain to her aunt and uncle?"**

**"They wouldn't mind," Dorea reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney,~**

"Well, when you put it that way, it does kinda sound funny..." Bill said, holding back a chuckle. Instead, he blushed as he felt Dorea lean her head against his shoulder again. He couldn't help but remember that morning, the feeling of her head on his chest... Her hair was beginning to tickle his neck now, just like it had last night...

**~don't worry about that -"**

**"Well... All right... You go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going "**

**"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.**

**"And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot -"**

**"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace -"**

**"But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."~**

"You're only confusing her." Sirius sighed. The Weasleys all flushed and apologized. Dorea just waved it off.

"I was fine in the end, and it wasn't because of the advice that I got lost." she admitted. The Weasleys all sighed in relief while everyone else tensed. Just Dorea's luck that she got lost...

**~Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Dorea took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. She took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; she opened her mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of painfully hot ash. She couldn't help but feel like someone was pouring red-hot iron down her throat.~**

"That was why I got lost." Dorea said, pointing at the book. Everyone who had done that before winced, rubbing their throat. Dorea had described it perfectly, especially the pain that came with swallowing hot ash.

**~"D-Dia-gon Alley," she coughed.~**

"Ah, simple mistake. You'll either end up in ether Diagon or Knockturn, since Alley got through clearly. Though you may end up in Half... Does Half Alley even _have_ a Floo?" Sirius pondered, cocking his head to the side in thought. James shrugged and nudged Remus to keep reading.

**~It felt as though she was being sucked down a giant drain. She seemed to be spinning very fast - the roaring in her ears was deafening she tried to keep her eyes open but the whirl of green flames made her feel sick - something hard knocked her elbow and she tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning - now it felt as though cold hands were slapping her face - squinting through her glasses she saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond her bacon sandwiches were churning inside her - she closed her eyes again, wishing it would stop,~**

Those that hated the Floo turned a pale green, while those that had never taken the Floo looked as though they were never going to take that mode of transportation. Ever.

**~and then she fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of her glasses snap almost in two.~**

James flinched and touched his own glasses as though to reassure himself that they were there. Harry winced and, not for the first time, was glad that Hermione charmed his glasses to be Unbreakable during their fourth year. Otherwise there were plenty of times that they would have broken that year, leaving him blind as a bat... He may not have been the worst in school, and he knew that he wasn't as smart as Dorea was, but Hermione always was able to find the most useful charms in a heartbeat.

**~Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, she got gingerly to her feet, holding her broken glasses up to her eyes. She was quite alone, but where she was, she had no idea. All she could tell was that she was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop - but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.~**

Sirius winced.

"You're in Knockturn." he said, not even looking for confirmation. Bill tensed up and held Dorea in a one-arms hug, she was in Knockturn, Alley of Dark Witches and Wizards... And Alley to rare items, now that he thought about it...

**~A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye.~**

"Uh, ew." Lavender Brown said, crinkling her nose. Yeah, that about summed up those items. Malfoy, however, paled. That sounded like...

**~Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling.~**

Sirius sighed in relief.

"That Borgin and Burkes, one of the Lighter of the Dark shops in Diagon. The man that runs that place, Borgin, is used to children appearing in his shop when they were trying to reach Diagon." he said, speaking from experience. Remus nodded in agreement, as did James. All three had appeared there, each at separate times, but they had all the same. Borgin had escorted them to Diagon, though for Remus that may have been because Remus was known for being friends with James Potter and the White Sheep that is Sirius Black. Sirius and James, however, it would have been because they were the oldest sons to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Families of Potter and Black.

**~Even worse, the dark, narrow street Dorea could see through the dusty shop window was definitely _not_ Diagon Alley.**

**The sooner she got out of here, the better. Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth, Dorea made her way swiftly and silently toward the door, but before she'd got halfway toward it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass - and one of them was the very last person Dorea wanted to meet when she was lost, covered in soot, and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy.~**

Malfoy paled. Amelia Bones was here, listening to this... His father was doomed.

**~Dorea looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to her left; she shot inside it and pulled the doors closed, leaving a small crack to peer through. Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop.**

**The man who followed could only be Draco's father.**

**He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco."~**

"That's actually good advice in that shop, you never know if its cursed or not." Sirius said. Upon seeing the curious looks he was getting, he delved further into an explanation. "It's a pawn shop." he said simply. Everyone nodded in understanding, that made a lot of sense.

**~Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."**

**"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.~**

"Or he bought 7, one for each member of the team." a Huflepuff said. Malfoy flushed, his father - well - yeah, he sort of did...

**~"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Dorea Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so she could play for Gryffindor. She's not even that good, it's just because she's famous... Famous for having a stupid scar on her forehead..."~**

"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I agree with you. I hate my fame." Dorea said grudgingly. Bill raised an eyebrow and looked at Malfoy.

"She caught a Rememberall mere moments before it shatter, and pulled out of the dive unharmed, on a horrible school broom, on her first flight on a broom. That's not good?" he asked. Malfoy's cheeks turned a pale pink as he attempted to come up with an explanation. "Oh, not to mention she was able to stay on a jinxed broomstick. How is that not good?"

**~Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls.**

**"... Everyone thinks she's so smart, wonderful Potter with her scar and her broomstick -"~**

"She is smart, she's better than you are in classes, even with your sabotage." Ginny snarled.

**~"You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son. "And I would remind you that it is not - prudent - to appear less than fond of Dorea Potter, not when most of our kind regard her as the heroine who made the Dark Lord disappear - ah, Mr. Borgin."**

**A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.~**

"Is he related to Snape?" Naomi asked innocently. People began to howl in laughter, and Snape scowled.

"Detention." he ground out, forgoing Naomi's surname due to the fact that he couldn't remember it for the life of him.. Naomi blinked owlishly.

"For what? All I did was ask a question." she said, looking at Dumbledore. The headmaste chuckled.

"Detention denied, Severus. All she did do was ask a simple question." Dumbledore said. Snape glared icily at the elderly man before turned away, nose in the air. Lily couldn't help but snort.

"Aw, is the pretty princess upset because she isn't getting her way?" she cooed, making the Marauders howl in laughter while the rest of the Hall fell into snickers at the look on Snape's face. Once he calmed down, Remus continued reading.

**~"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted - and young Master Malfoy, too - charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced -"**

**"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy.~**

"This means that he's bought from there before." Kingsley pointed out to Madam Bones. Sirius shrugged.

"He sells expensive potions, like Felix Felicius and wolfsbane, but in small doses." he defended. He, himself, had bought Remus' wolfsbane potion there before. Borgin may have it selling at an extremely high place, but Sirius had enough blackmail on Borgin to get it at a much more reasonable price.

**~"Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face.**

**"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unravelling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few - ah - items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call..."**

**Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.**

**"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"~**

"Odd, considering how much he bribes them I thought that he wouldn't have to worry about that." James snarled. Sirius coughed in order to cover his laughter as he looked at James.

"Yeah, but Arthur doesn't put up with bribery, and neither does Mels." he said, jerking his head over to Madam Bones, who rolled her eyes.

"I told you to stop calling me that when you were in your first year, you three." she scolded. Sirius shrugged.

"You're only 3 years older than us, and you're a sort of friend..." he said, a little unsure of himself. Amelia had only been a lawyer at the time that he had been send to Azkaban, so she wouldn't have been able to do anything about him getting a trial or not...

**~Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.**

**"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumours about a new Muggle Protection Act - no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it.'**

**Dorea felt a white hot surge of anger at the insult towards Mr. Weasley.~**

All the Weasley ground their teeth at Malfoy, wishing that his father was here so they could hex him into oblivian.

**~"-and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear -"~**

"That you want to kill someone like the sadistic Death Eater you are, laughing while a 14 year old girl gets tortured by your Master." Dorea spat. Malfoy paled. His - his father laughed while Dorea was tortured by the Dark Lord? But - she was his age - would he have laughed if it was him being tortured? If it was Blaise? Theo? Pansy? Gregory? Vincent?

**~"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see..."**

**"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion that Dorea had noticed earlier.**

**"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."~**

All the Aurors, as well as Dorea, were nodding at what Borgin said.

"Imagine using that with something that causes darkness, that would be incredibly useful." Dorea commented, Moody nodding in agreement. That would help so much during raids back in the first war...

**~"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant -"**

**"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "That may indeed be all he is fit for -"~**

"Mr. Malfoy is fourth in the year, he is doing just fine." Flitwick said, eyebrows narrowed. Considering that only one of the top three was actually in Ravenclaw, Lucius Malfoy should feel proud that his son is fourth in the year.

**~"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favourites,~**

"Yeah, and you're Snape's." Ron snarled. Blaise snorted.

"Doesn't help that he's Snape's godson." he added. Dumbledore shot Snape a glare.

"I believe that it is against school policy for professors to teach relatives, Severus. Godchildren included. You were supposed to inform me that Mr. Malfoy is your godson so that I would be able to find a suitable professor for him to learn Potions from." he said, his voice cold. Snape flinched, he hadn't said anything because he had known that Draco would try to sabotage the Gryffindor potions. Remus sighed. The only reason he had been allowed to teach Neville was because Dumbledore had literally knocked on his door and begged him to teach DADA that year, since the only other application was apparently very similar to Lockhart. Dumbledore had offered to ignore the fact that he was teaching his godson if he accepted the job, even if it only lasted one year.

**~that Hermione Granger -"**

**"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.~**

"Someone's brains has nothing to do with their blood status." Dan spat. It was people like Malfoy that he hated with a passion.

**~"Ha!" said Dorea under her breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry.~**

This time, Dorea turned in her seat so that she could stick her tongue out at flushed Malfoy.

**~"It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere -"**

**"Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring.**

**"No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin, with a deep bow.~**

"That's bull, he likes people depending on how much money they've got. He knows that muggleborns would drive away rich purebloods is all. He's a good business man." Sirius defended. James nodded in agreement, Borgin hated people like Lucius Malfoy with a passion(trust them, they checked under James' Cloak), but he puts up with them because of their money.

**~"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today -"~**

Ginny twitched and Dorea's jaw clenched. That bastard had some business, his business involved giving Ginny a Horcrux, hoping to discredit Arthur and possibly kill the girl.

**~They started to haggle. Dorea watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to her hiding place, examining the objects for sale. Draco paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, _Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed - Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date._~**

"How can you smirk at that?" Hermione asked in horror. Malfoy flinched under the gazes that he was receiving, fact was, he had been smirking because his Aunt Bella had sold that to Borgin.

**~Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward - he stretched out his hand for the handle ~**

Malfoy was about to curse. _Dorea Potter had been** right there**... He almost had her..._

**~"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, Draco -"**

**Dorea wiped her forehead on her sleeve as Draco turned away.**

**"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."**

**The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner.~**

Those who thought that Borgin was a blood supremist blinked in surprise.

**~"Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me _half_ of what's hidden in your _manor_..."~**

All the Aurors in the room took note of that as Madam Bones nodded at Arthur. He was going to get permission to tear Malfoy Manor apart in search of dark objects that could lock the Lord away in Azkaban.

**~Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Dorea waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as she could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door.~**

James nodded in approval. His daughter was quick and quiet, and that was good for getting out of places you don't want to be. Hermione huffed.

"I swear, Dorea, you have to be half ninja or something with your skills at sneaking around!" she complained. Dorea raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"And you're complaining for what reason? You should see me when I'm intentionally sneaking around for information, I'm practically impossible to find unless I want you to." she said. Ron nodded, he had seen Dorea in sleuth ninja mode, it was kinda scary when he thought about it...

**~Clutching her broken glasses to her face, Dorea stared around. She had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts.~**

"Actually, the Black Knight tavern and the Celeste Bookshop aren't Dark, they're either not Ministry approved or they specialize in rare and expensive items." Sirius corrected. Dorea nodded, taking note of that. "As a matter of fact, Borgin and Burkes is one of those stores as well. You can get wolfsbane there, if you know how to get Borgin to bring the price down."

**~The one she'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders.~**

Ron shuddered at the thought.

"You just have to mention the spiders, don't you." he asked. Dorea looked as though she was thinking hard, then smiled at Ron.

"Yeah, yeah I do." she said cheekily. Ron rolled his eyes and sent a hex Dorea's way, only for her to dodge it. He grumbled something about Dorea being too damn good at dodging Bludgers before settling down.

**~Two shabby-looking wizards were watching her from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. The looks they were sending her sent shivers down Dorea's spine.~**

Bill growled and clung to Dorea. They could have been part of a slave trade... They could have planned to kidnap Dorea for ransom... They could have raped her... There were so many things that those two men could have done to her...

**~Feeling jumpy, Dorea set off, trying to hold her glasses on straight and hoping against hope she'd be able to find a way out of here. An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told her that she was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Dorea had never heard of such a place. She supposed she hadn't spoken clearly enough through her mouthful of ashes back in the Weasleys' fire.**

**Trying to stay calm, she wondered what to do.**

**"Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in her ear, making her jump a mile in the air.~**

Bill raised an eyebrow while Moody grunted.

"It was a haggish witch that I had thought was a statue, she had been standing so still with the hood up." Dorea explained.

**~An aged witch stood in front of her, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at her, showing mossy teeth. Dorea backed away, but then noticed that the two men were beginning to walk towards her and stopped.**

**"I'm fine, thanks," she said. "I'm just -"**

**"DOREA! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?"~**

"Oh, thank Merlin you found her, Hagrid." Bill sighed, holding a hand over his heart. He had almost had a panic attack... James and Lily both let out the breaths they hadn't realized they had been holding.

**~Dorea's heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard. Dorea felt much calmer now, especially since those two men disappeared once they caught sight of Hagrid.~**

Hagrid smiled at Dorea, looks like he had excellent timing after all.

**~"Hagrid!" Dorea croaked in relief. "I was lost - Floo powder -"**

**Hagrid seized Dorea by the scruff of the neck and pulled her away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Dorea saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance - Gringotts Bank. Hagrid had steered her right into Diagon Alley.**

**"Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Dorea so forcefully he nearly knocked her into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary.~**

"Er - sorry 'bout that..." Hagrid said. Dorea shrugged.

"No problem, you kept me away from those men and got me out of Knockturn, so technically I should be thanking you." she said simply.

**~"Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno dodgy place, Dorea - don' want no one ter see yeh down there -"**

**"I realized that," said Dorea, ducking as Hagrid made to brush her off again. "I told you, I was lost - wait, what were you doing down there, anyway?"~**

"Good question." Blaise nodded.

**~"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?"~**

"Even better answer." Dan said shortly.

**~"I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Dorea explained. "I've got to go and find them..."~**

"Mum was frantic, she thought that you had been kidnapped... And you almost were..." Fred said slowly, looking at Dorea in shock. Maybe it was a really good thing that Dumbledore got her that book for her 12th birthday...

**~They set off together down the street.**

**"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Dorea jogged alongside him (she had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Dorea explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.~**

"Edited version, she left out that they were starving her." Hagrid growled.

**~"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known -"**

**"Dorea! Dorea! Over here!"**

**Dorea looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.~**

Hermione mock glared at Dorea., who was conveniently whispering with her mother and missed it.

**~"What happened to your glasses?"~**

Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Hi, good to see you again too, thanks for the concern." she said. Hermione smiled.

"You know me so well, Rea." she said happily.

**~Hello, Hagrid - Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again - Are you coming into Gringotts, Dorea?"**

**"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Dorea.**

**"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.**

**Dorea and Hermione looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.**

**"Dorea," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic - she's coming now -"**

**"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.**

**"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.**

**"Excellent." said Fred and George together.~**

"_Not_." they corrected their past selfs, completely straight faced If Dorea ever went into Knockturn again, they were going to be Dorea's bodyguards and fight off anyone that got close to her without permission.

**~"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.~**

"And now I know why." Ron said, a little pale at the thought of Dorea getting kidnapped in Knockturn.

**~"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.**

**Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.~**

"Wait, you were 11 by then! Why were you holding your mother's hand?" Lily asked. Ginny flushed.

"She sorta made me..." she muttered. Her mother had been so afraid of her getting lost that she had grabbed her hand right away, forgetting that her youngest was now 11.

**~"Oh, Dorea - oh, my dear - you could have been _anywhere_ -"**

**Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Dorea's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.~**

"Well, it's a good thing I don't need those anymore." Dorea said happily, reminding everyone that she took an eye correcting potion instead of wearing temporary contacts. She had worn those to the Yule Ball to make her eyes more noticable.

**~"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("_Knockturn Alley!_ If you hadn't found her, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.**

**"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Dorea asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."**

**"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.**

**"No, he was selling -"**

**"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd _love_ to get Lucius Malfoy for something "~**

"You can at the end of the book. I'm sure we can explain what that diary really was." Dorea said simply. Arthur blinked and looked from Dorea to Madam Bones, who nodded. They would be putting that bastard away, with sufficient evidence to arrest him and charge him for his crimes. If they had to, they would get the Queen involved.

**~"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew -"~**

"Don't insult your husband's pride, Molly." Lily advised, having done that before. It never ended nicely.

**~"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.~**

"Well, they were muggles in a world that was centuries in the past. No wonder they were nervous." Susan said, thinking about the comparisons between the muggle and wizarding world. Professor Burbage nodded in agreement, she good friends with muggleborns and their families, and they all got nervous whenever they entered the wizarding world after being in the muggle world for any amount of time.

**~"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly.**

**"We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.~**

Everyone who liked Arthur shook their head fondly, while the Weasley just simply laughed at their father. The Slytherins that were still angled towards Voldemort sneered. _Muggle-loving blood traitors,_ they all thought, sneering at everyone. When they got to Dorea, they had to pause. She hated her relatives, but she didn't seem to hate any other muggles... So was she one of them or not?

**~"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Dorea were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.**

**The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Dorea enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than she had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened.~**

Dorea smiled. It was no longer the way that it once was, it now contained all the money that was in her trust fund. The Weasley now had a small fortune on their hands.

**~There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Dorea felt even worse when they reached her vault. She tried to block the contents from view as best as she could while she hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.~**

Ron's ears burned red as he thought about the fact that Dorea gave all that money that had been in that Vault to his family. They were no longer poor, but he didn't feel any better or worse than he had before... He just felt like himself. He felt like Ron.

**~Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a second-hand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.**

**"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.~**

"Don't worry, mum, we didn't go down there. We were heading towards Half Alley to meet Lee." George explained. Molly nodded once, she felt she had to remind them because Knockturn Alley had come up that day.

**~Dorea, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of** **gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Doreas pocket was clamouring to be spent, so she bought three large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams,~**

"That was nice of you." Bill said happily. Remus turned to James.

"She's like you, she's always the one that's buying her friends treats." he said with a grin. James nodded, feeling proud of his daughter. She was exactly what he had hoped she would be when he held her as an infant, brave, daring, loyal, loving, and as pure as possible.

**~which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door.~**

Ron flushed as Dorea smiled at him. She had gotten him Chudley Cannon robes for his Christmas gift that year...

**~In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,~**

Dorea snickered, making Snape's eyes narrowed. _So it **had** been her that blew up Draco's Swelling Solution,_ he thought.

**~and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.**

**"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating..."~**

Everyone snorted at Ron's obvious sarcasm.

**~"Go away," Percy snapped.**

**"'Course, he's _very_ ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out... He wants to be _Minister of Magic_..." Ron told Dorea and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it.~**

"A reasonable ambition." Percy defended. Fudge looked a little alarmed that his assistant wanted his job. Well, what _was_ his job... He wouldn't have it for much longer...

**~An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling out side the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:**

_**GILDEROY LOCKHART**_

_**will be signing copies of his autobiography**_

_**MAGICAL ME**_

**_today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m._~**

Everyone that had been taught by the fraud groaned, Dorea fake vomited.

**~"We can actually _meet_ him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"~**

"I." Slam. "Was." Slam. "So." Slam. "_Naive_." Hermione said between slamming her head against the table in front of her. "So." Slam. "_Damn_." Slam. "Naive." Slam. George gently pried Hermione's head from the table and pulled out some thick yellow paste, which he applied to the bruise forming on Hermione's forehead. "Where'd you get that?" she asked him. George smiled solemnly.

"We made it. We test our experiments on ourselves before we as for volunteers, to make sure that they aren't too dangerous. We had to develop strong bruise salves in order to hide the black eyes from mum." he explained.

**~The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, there... Mind the books, now..."**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells,Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.~**

"Very nice." Sirius nodded. "You three would make good Maraudlettes. No, wait, here me out. Bambi would be Prongslette, the leader and bravest of the group. Ron would be Padlet, the loyal strategist. Hermione would be Moonlette, the planner and brains." he reasoned. The Trio looked at each other, thinking it over, before turning back to the ex-convict.

"Maybe, we'll see." they chorused. Sirius nodded happily, and the Twins were looking at their younger brother enviously._ Lucky bastard was being offered to become a Maraudlette, the next generation of Marauders, and he said that** he'll see**?_

**~"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair.~**

Those who knew the truth about Lockhart couldn't help but snort at Molly's past actions.

**~"We'll be able to see him in a minute..."**

**Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd.~**

Dorea looked as though she was going to vomit, but she wasn't alone. Her mother, the Marauders, and the Prewett Twins had the same looks on their faces as well. Bill, however, looked as though he wanted to murder someone. Ron had told him about what Lockhart had done for fame, and it disgusted him.

**~The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.~**

"Ew." Naomi and Luna both said, making those around them laugh. The two actually looked kinda similar, and they acted like sister. Maybe they were actually related?

**~A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.**

**"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"**

**"Big deal." said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.~**

Dorea glared at the book. Thanks a lot, photographer, that really helped me out.

**~Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron and then he saw Dorea. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Dorea Potter?"**

**The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Dorea's arm, and pulled her to the front.~**

"Let go of her, you bastard." Bill growled, pulling Dorea into his lap. In his anger, he didn't notice how uncomfortable Dorea was. The memory of that morning was still fresh in her mind, though Bill seemed to have pushed it off quite well.

**~The crowd burst into applause.**

**Dorea's face burned as Lockhart shook her hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.**

**"Nice big smile, Dorea," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."~**

"She's worth it on her own, she doesn't need you to make the front page." Lily spat.

**~When he finally let go of Dorea's hand, Dorea could hardly feel her fingers. She tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around her shoulders and clamped her tightly to her side. Dorea felt more than just a little uncomfortable as he held her closer than she would have liked, his thumb running up and down her arm.~**

Remus could feel Moony howling in rage as everyone who cared for Dorea turned white in anger. Had that - that pedophilic _bastard_ been attempting to _seduce_ a _12 year old girl_?

**~Suddenly, the book that Professor Dumbledore got her for her birthday seemed all the more pleasant. Perhaps she should read it when she got back to the Burrow.~**

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at that, Dorea would do something like that.

**~"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When young Dorea here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, she only wanted to buy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present her now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded again.~**

"Wait, what? When did I want to buy that piece of trash? I used it as a fire starter." Dorea commented, making everyone who heard her snicker. Yeah, that was definitely something that Dorea would do.

**~"He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"~**

"_WHAT_?!" all the adults who had been at school with him shouted, angered beyond belief.

"He's using them to up his sales!" James roared.

"He could barely _disarm_ people!" Sirius growled.

"_That's_ why they were all so far behind?!" Remus shrieked. Lily was the one to bring up the worst point.

"He's going to try to flirt with Dorea!" she screamed in outrage. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became similar to when a Dementor was around, everything grew cold as the warmth was seemingly sucked out of the room. Everyone turned to Bill, whose hair was whirling around him in a wind that wasn't there.

"If he flirted with Dorea,_ I'll kill him._" he whispered, his voice ringing through the Hall. People gulped out of fear, the oldest Weasley boy looked absolutely terrifying. Dorea turned and kissed Bill's cheek, snapping him out of his rage.

"I'm alright, I'm still a virgin," everyone spluttered at how blunt she was, especially Harry. She could have eased into that more! "Nothing happened to me. Besides, you forgot about the book. I have every spell in there memorized, just in case." she said, winking at Bill. Bill smiled and cuddled up to Dorea, who seemed to relax in his arms. She felt just so safe here...

**~The crowd cheered and clapped and Dorea found herself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, she managed to make her way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.**

**"You have these," Dorea mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own -"~**

"Thanks for that, Dorea." Ginny said happily. "It was fun burning that autobiography with you."

**~"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Dorea had no trouble recognizing. She straightened up and found herself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer. ****"Famous, princess Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."**

**"Leave her alone, she didn't want all that!" said Ginny. She was glaring darkly at Malfoy.**

**"Potter, you've got yourself a _fangirl_! Or is she your lady-in-waiting?" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.**

**"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Dorea here, eh?"~**

Malfoy nodded. He finally understood what Ron meant by that now.

**~"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."~**

Malfoy jumped and yelped as a sky blue light hit him, making his ears grow larger and larger, until they were about the size of an elephant's. With wide eyes, he looked at Charlie, who had just walked into the Hall with a very sleepy Michaela in tow.

"Think before you insult my family, Malfoy." he spat, dragging Michaela by the wrist into the Circle. He sat her down in his lap, then turned to Galandriel to find out what he and Michaela missed. Dan saw that Michaela had some bandages on her left wrist. She had been cutting again, that was why it took so long for her and Charlie to get back.

**~Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Dorea and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.**

**"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."**

**"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."**

**It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.~**

"And everyone in my dimension wonders why I call him Lucius Junior." Harry sighed. Dorea looked at him curiously. Her parents and Bill had explained what had happened, about the inter-dimensional rift that the strangers were trying to fix at the moment so they could send Harry back. She wanted to know what differed in his dimension from this one, it would probably be a good idea to compare their lives.

**~"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.**

**"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?"**

**He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration._~**

Dorea and Ginny both twitched, while Arthur's jaw dropped. Ginny had said that she found the diary in her transfiguration book - it was _Malfoy_ that gave his daughter that dangerous thing?

**~"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"~**

"A disgrace to the name of wizard is someone that uses their abilities for terrorism, you bastard. A disgrace is someone who laughs when a 14 year old is being tortured, being cursed. A disgrace is then trying to kill that 14 year old when she's trying to escape from your master's clutches with her dignity intact." Dorea muttered. Bill ran his fingers through her hair again, remembering what Dorea had told him last night. Malfoy Senior was doomed...

**~Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.**

**"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.**

**"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... And I thought your family could sink no lower "~**

The muggleborns in the Hall, as well as the misfits, all cracked their knuckles. Who needed magic when they could trample that bastard the muggle way?

**~There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.~**

"GO ARTHUR!" the Marauders, Lily, and the Prewett Twins all cheered. In the background, Tonks could be heard whooping.

**~Dozens of heavy spell books came thundering down on all their heads;~**

"GO FOR HIS LEGS!" James shouted.

"AIM FOR HIS CROTCH!" Lily screamed sadistically. All the males in the area winced, those without someone on their laps covering their genitals. That would hurt...

"HIT HIM IN THE STOMACH, DAD!" Bill join in, shouting advice for his father in the past.

**~there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George;~**

"That was Fred." George said.

**~Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; Dorea couldn't help but join in the fun by shouting "Aim for his stomach and legs, Mr. Weasley!";~**

James and Bill both tussled Dorea's hair while Lily pouted. _Not fair, her daughter didn't fight like she did._

**~the crowd stampeded backward, knocking even more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all. "Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"**

**Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools.~**

"I now have a love for that book." Arthur said cheerfully, making everyone laugh at the Head Weasley.

**~He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.~**

Dorea couldn't help but snarl. _ That bastard was the reason that an innocent child was nearly killed..._

**~"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -"**

**Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.**

**"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family,~**

Malfoy winced as he saw Dorea nod in agreement. He could change... He didn't have to be his father... He could change to make Dorea like him...

**~everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."**

**The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.**

**"A fine example to set for your children... Brawling in public... What Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"~**

"As if anyone cares about what that pedophile thinks." Sirius growled.

**~"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -"~**

Cue the eye rolling and mime vomiting.

**~But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Dorea, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be travelling back to the Burrow using Floo powder.~**

Dorea pouted. "That sucked."

**~They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.~**

Arthur smiled happily at Dorea. She had explained how they worked later on to him.

**~Dorea took off her glasses and put them safely in her pocket before helping herself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't her favourite way to travel.~**

James laughed, that was what he thought about Floo as well. Remus closed the book and looked around.

"That's the chapter. Who would like to read next?" he asked everyone, who remained almost silent.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 14,974**

**My Christmas gift to all of you is a nice long chapter for the first time in a while! So Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers and reviewers out there!**

**Review Count: 657**

**YES YES YES! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING FOR HITTING THE GOAL! I AM SO SO SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE!**

**Review Goal: 690**

**I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN HIT THIS GOAL! SO PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS CHAPTER PEOPLES!**

**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**

**SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW GUYS!**


	26. Book 2: Chapter 5

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Well, I got pretty much everything that I wanted for Christmas - and as such, I'm writing this on Christmas day to not only make my life easier since I have two ISUs due on the same day, yet again, in January and I haven't started either one yet. So I'm writing as many stories as I can simply to make my life easier - oh, and I wanted to do this chapter on my new laptop (that Ii paid like, 2/3s for) so that I could get used to it.**

**Also, someone told me to not ruin the story by adding yaoi. Personally, I find that a little insulting because the person that Dante is actually based off of is happy that he's being paired with a hot guy, and since he wants to be paired with Blaise he will remain paired with Blaise. I don't care much for homophobes, but don't start yelling at me for having a gay pairing in this story. Dante and Blaise won't be a main pairing, so they as a couple won't be as focused on as Michaela and Charlie or Dorea and Bill, because those are the two main pairings for this story I'm planning on having it, instead of Bill and Fleur's wedding in the seventh book, having it as Michaela and Charlie's wedding instead. Thank you for the review, since you said this story is really good, but I won't tolerate it if you are a gay-basher, considering that Dante is one of my good friends.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**MistBblade8: AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Well, I'm glad you liked the chapter, seeing as how it was a Christmas gift to my readers! :) Well, I figured that since Lockhart wants fame so much, why shouldn't he chase after famous witches in hope of getting more fame? Not to mention Dorea is pretty, as well as a Potter. So yeah, he's going to flirt with her. Heh, I like your imagination, I may just interperet those ideas! I already have you to thank for the melting idea(which I will use in the next interlude, btw). And she might, depends on who the person is.**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow: Well, I do try to go for realisic in my stories, even is some parts are unrealistic. I dont like the stories where the other-dimension person suddenly becomes the center of attention, no, I'm making him like Fabian and Gideon, or like Cedric - there, but remaining quiet so as to make their own decisions and choices according to what's going on. No, Luna and Naomi aren't related, they're just the best friends that act like sisters. I may add it to the interlude, it enough people beg me to ;)**

**H. 13672: Thank you, (Fem)Harry/Bill is my favourite pairing, with (fem)Harry/Charlie being a lcose second. Hermione and George will start getting more lovey-dovey when they're close to getting together, probably in the middle of the sixth book or so. No, Naomi and Luna are not related in any way. Is this update soon enough for you?**

**griffindork93: Girl, you almost gave me a panic attack when you hadn't reviewed within 24 hours of my update! Never do that to me again! *serious face* Well, as I see it, humans are the only known species to have homosexuals, and nymphs don't seem all that sexual to me, so hetero and asexual it is! :) Remember, I can change anything I want with my almighty authoress powers! *creepy warping effect in background* Why thank you, I figured I should make up a potion that would create conceit in someone, so I just named it a Conceit Potion. Lily's gonna gun for Marge because of what she said in the third book, no one calls Lily a bitch and gets away with it! Besides, as much as she hates Petunia at the moment, she could never actually kill her own sister. Yeah, I know, I'm happy too. It's gonna be so awesome when he and Dorea start talking, they'll have the most interesting conversations. She's taking legal action against Lockhart and doing this out of the goodness of her heart, she'll just keep the money she gets from the legal action and giving everyone some money, especially those that need it. Well, I like the grandfatherly role that Dumbledore plays in canon Harry's life, so I decided to make it just a little more clear as to how he sees Dorea in these books. Besides, with how crazy he is, I'm sure he would've sent something like that to his granddaughter or granddaughter figure. It is differet, I'm gonna make it so the only reasons that Remus was willing to teach at Hogwarts was because of Neville and Dorea. Nope, not since she started training her sleuth ninja skills! Ah, true true... I'll probably extend the offer to them when they give Dorea the Marauder's Map. Malfoy will probably get a different girl, so don't worry about him ^^ Thank you for that compliment, though I don't see myself as that great a writer ^/^ Ooops... Well, it's hard to edit out that entire paragraph! I'd like to see you try it! *pouts***

**Alexis: ... *copies review and saves it* I'll keep note of this for pairing at a later date. As as for Percy and Oliver bonding - probably, since Oliver would know him best, them being in the same year at Hogwarts and all.**

**~O~O~O~**

Remus looked at Naomi oddly as she raised her hand.

"If you don't mind, I'll read." she offered. Dante smiled as he listened to her talk, Naomi had such a musical voice, but that wasn't surprising, considering her heritage. Michaela, Galandriel, and Elront all stiffened at the sound. Michaela couldn't figure out why Naomi's voice annoyed her so much, but Galandriel and Elront's eyes narrowed. She wasn't... Not noticing the agitation that the two High Elves were showing, Remus levitated the book over to Naomi, who opened it to the next chapter and winced at the title. She had heard rumours about that tree, and she hoped that they were exaggerated...

**~CHAPTER FIVE - THE WHOMPING WILLOW~** she read. Remus violently winced as Sirius and James narrowed their eyes.

"Bambi..." James started. "... Why is that thrice damned tree the title of this chapter...?" he asked. Dorea winced and refused to look her father in the eyes.

"... You'll see..." she muttered. Damn tree... Nearly broke Ron's neck and her skull...

**~The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Dorea's liking.~**

"They always do." everyone sighed. As much as they loved Hogwarts, they didn't love the lessons that they had to attend, the bullying that they face, or the bias from different Houses, professors, and students from even their own House. Dorea looked away, letting everyone know what she thought. That the summer just couldn't pass by fast enough when she was at the Dursleys.

**~She was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but her month at the Burrow had been the happiest of her life. It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when she thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome she could expect next time she turned up on Privet Drive.~**

All the misfits growled at the reminder of what the Dursleys did to Dorea. Michaela had literally carried Dorea to Sierra's house, where Sierra's mother reset all the broken bones that Dorea had and healed Dorea's broken nose and almost destroyed black eyes. And she kept insisting that she wasn't being abused, said that the Dursleys just let Dudley's gang get a little out of control, to not report them... Sierra knew better, seeing as how she had pointed out the Vernon hand print shaped bruises on Dorea's neck to her mother. Sierra knew what Dorea refused to admit, that if she stayed with the Dursleys much longer without Sirius as a threat to dangle above their heads, the Dursleys would kill her without any second thought.

**~On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a scrumptious looking diner that included all of Dorea's favourite things, ending with a mouth-watering treacle pudding.~**

Lily couldn't help but beam at her daughter, seeing as how treacle anything was her favourite as well.

**~Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filiuster Fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from the ceiling to the floor and against the walls for at least half an hour. The it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.**

**It took a long while to get started the next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do.~**

Dobby flushed as the Weasleys all sighed. Dorea and Mrs. Weasley had gotten almost everything ready, but in his attempt to keep them back he had ended up undoing a lot of their work.

**~Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood, looking for spare socks ad quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of broken toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley had nearly broken his neck when he tripped over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's heavy trunk to the car.~**

"Why don't you just cast Feather Weight Charms on the trunks to make things go smoother? That's what I did to my trunk before seventh year..." James said, looking at Molly and Arthur curiously Molly flushed, in actuality, the only reason they hadn't done that was because they didn't want their children to rely on magic too much, otherwise it could be their downfall. That had happened to so many other wizards and witches, it wasn't that difficult to find a famous witch or wizard passing away by muggle means in history.

**~Dorea couldn't see how eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Angelia.~**

"Well, I can't see that either..." Hermione said, looking at Arthur. He had charmed it to fly, so surely he must have done something about the interior's size as well?

**~She reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added.~**

Molly gave her husband a sharp look, but there was really no harm behind it. She knew that the Ministry cars that they had used the year after were only missing the charm to make them fly, otherwise the cars were almost the same.

**~"Not a word to Molly,"~**

"If you tell her to keep something a secret, Dorea'll keep it a secret until the day she dies." Ron said. He didn't know why or how, but Dorea was the best person to go to if you want to get something off your chest and not have anyone else know about it.

**~he whispered to Dorea as he opened the trunk and showed her how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.~**

"That's harmless, it's like the Ministry cars." Madam Bones said, nodding. It was simply making it easier for his family to run around Britain by doing that.

**~When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Dorea, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"~**

"Uh, at most a Ford Angelia can sit three people in the back seat and two people in the front comfortably. In the muggle world, if you want to fit more people you'd have to cram them in so that they would sit in between seats, on the floor in front of seats, or on people's laps." Dan explained, being the one that knew most about cars among the misfits.

**~Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Dorea turning back for a last look at the house. She barely had time to wonder when she'd see it again when they were back.**

**George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary.~**

Dorea turned to Dobby.

"How much of that did you hold back so that we would be bordering late to get on the train?" she asked. Dobby's face burned red, giving them all the information they needed. He held all of it back. Ginny couldn't help but grumble as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You should've kept that diary..." she mumbled, earning odd looks from Theo and Luna, who were sitting on either side of her. The one thing that annoyed Luna about this book was that she couldn't See anything that happened that year that she didn't already witness or hear about, meaning that she was as blind as everyone else when it came to this book.

**~By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were rising to an all-time high.**

**Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife.**

**"Molly, dear -"**

**"No, Arthur."**

**"No one would see - this little button here is an Invisibilty Booster I installed -~**

"It was faulty." Dorea and Ron said at the same time, making Arthur's face fall.

"Was it really?" he asked. Ron nodded.

"That was why we were seen, otherwise we only would've been caught after we got to Hogwarts." he commented. Snape grumbled, so they hadn't attempted to get attention... They had wanted to only get to Hogwarts... But surely Potter must have done something to make the Invisibility Booster faulty so that she could be the center of attention!

**~that'd get us up in the air - then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser -"**

**"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight -"~**

"While I agree that you shouldn't do it during the day like you wanted to, maybe you should have let Arthur test the Invisibility Booster a few times to make sure that it would last as long as it was supposed to, that way you could do it if you had to." Lily said, making Molly flush. She just hated it so much when Arthur played with muggle things in his shed, mainly because it was against what his Department stood for...

**~They reached King's Cross Station at a quarter to eleven.~**

"You're cutting it really close, guys..." Sirius said in concern. Did Dorea make the train this year? Last time the barrier at King's Cross was mentioned, Dorea said that she'd hadn't crashed that time...

**~Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.**

**Dorea caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto Platform Nince and Three-Quarters, which wasn't visible to the muggle eye. What yuo had to do was walk throught the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the muggles noticed you vanishing.~**

Moody nodded in approval, Dorea knew how to get into the thought process of a survivor.

**~"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they only had five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.~**

"You knew, there really should be a way to Floo directly onto the barrier. I know there's a way to Apparate in case of an emergency, but really, there should be a way for the people that are running late to get there and not have to worry about being on time." Remus said with narrowed eyes. Luna looked at the ceiling for a moment before she shook her head.

"It would be much easier for Death Eaters to attack the train that way. If the Floo was set up before all loyal Death Eaters are arrested and jailed for their crimes, then the students boarding the train will be attacked." she said, her dreamy voice strangely solemn. Erador closed his eyes, the Moon Child Seer had just Seen and told them what would have happened in a Floo was connected to Platform 9 3/4

**~Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next, Fred and George followed.**

**"I'll take Ginny, and you two come right after us." Mrs. Weasley told Dorea and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.~**

"That wasn't smart, especially with the men in Knockturn. They easily could have planned to wait at the barrier until Dorea was alone and then they could have kidnapped her, Ronald would've been easy to take down because he's underage and alone." Moody grunted, making Molly pale drastically and thank her lucky stars that those men either hadn't recognized Dorea or weren't determined.

**~"Let's go together, we've only got a minute." Ron said to Dorea. Making sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of her trunk, Dorea rolled her trolley around and faced the barrier. She felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, quickly gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run,~**

Dorea and Ron both braced themselves for the reminder of the crash. That had been painful, Dorea was sure that it bruised a few ribs...

**~and - CRASH!~**

"Wait, what?" James asked, looking around in confusion. "What just happened?" he asked. Dobby flushed as Dan answered.

"It's obvious, isn't it? Dobby closed the barrier on them." he explained. Everyone stared at Dobby with wide eyes, well, no one could say that he wasn't dedicated to trying to protect Dorea.

**~Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Dorea was knocked off her feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"**

**"Lost control of the trolley," Dorea gasped, clutching her ribs as she got up.~**

Seeing Dorea rubbing her ribs as thought the injury were fresh, Bill placed his hand over top of hers were, where she had bruised her ribs. Dorea's face burned bright red at the action, making Bill smirk a little. While that morning had been extremely embarrassing, it was clear that Dorea liked him as much or almost as much as he liked - no, loved her. He sighed, last night he had admitted to himself that he was in love with Dorea, even saying so to her. Sure, she had been asleep at the time, but he had told her all the same.

**~Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.~**

"Dorea would _never_ be cruel to Hedwig! It's impossible, she could never be! She loved Hedwig as though she was family!" Hermione defended, glaring at the book as though it was suggesting that Dorea abused Hedwig on a regular basis. Naomi twitched a little under the cold gaze before she continued reading.

**~"Why can't we get through?" Dorea hissed to Ron.**

**"I dunno -"**

**Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them.~**

"Honestly, don't they have better things to do?" Bill growled, clinging to a furiously blushing Dorea. Fleur couldn't help the raging jealousy that she felt, Dorea was going to win Bill over if she didn't do something, but what could she do? She wasn't allowed to use any potions or enchantments on Bill to win him over - seducing him the old fashion way was her only choice.

**~"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself -"~**

"Dobby blocked your magical signatures, so the barrier thought you two were muggles. Pretty smart, actually, seeing as how then it would fail to let you in, but you two would keep your magic and it would keep working for everyone else." Lily said. Dobby nodded, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Dorea Potter as seriously as making her lose her magic would be.

**~Dorea looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Ten seconds... Nine seconds...~**

"You know, we really should have someone at the barrier in case something like this happens. Perhaps they could be hired as a guard, but they could be a muggleborn or something like that..." Tonks suggested, looking at Madam Bones, who could only nod.

"They would also be able to help muggleborns that forgot how to get on the platform." she agreed, taking note of it. Her list was a good 3 feet long now...

**~She wheeled her trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all her might. The metal remained solid. Three seconds... Two seconds... One second...**

**"It's gone," Ron said, sounding stunned. "The train's left. Dorea, what it Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any muggle money?"**

**Dorea gave a hollow laugh that made Ron shiver. "The Dursleys haven't given me pocket money for about six years."~**

"Wait, they actually gave you pocket money?" Blaise asked in shock. Dorea shook her head.

"They gave it to me to buy treats for Dudley, since he couldn't use money yet." she explained. Everyone nodded, that made sense, now that they thought about it.

**~Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier.**

**"Can't hear anything," he said tensely. "What're we going to do? I don't know how long until it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us."**

**They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches.**

**"I think we'd better go and wait by the car." said Dorea after a long pause.~**

"So the car wasn't your idea?" Arthur asked Dorea, who shook her head.

"Nope, but Ron talked me into it." she smirked, knowing that Ron was in for it later. "But it's a good thing that we took that car to Hogwarts, it saved our lives later in the year." she added on, seeing the murderous look that Molly was sending her youngest son. Mmolly's eyes widened to around the size of dinner plates as she saw Ron nod in agreement. They - both of them almost died in their second year?

**~"We're attracting too much atten-"~**

"Good thinking, Potter." Moody nodded, his magical eye whirling around almost wildly. He growled, _damn thing was giving him problems since that impostor wore it for almost an entire year..._

**~"Dorea!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"**

**"What about it?"**

**"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"~**

"You _didn't_." Bill deadpanned. Dorea refused to look at him. "But you two had _Hedwig_!" he insisted. She shrugged.

"Hindsight is 20/20, and it sucks. Horribly." she explained. Lily sighed, at least she realized what a horrible idea it was to fly that car to Hogwarts when they could have sent a letter. "Besides, now that I think about it, Dobby probably would've intercepted that letter too." she mused, much to Dobby's embarrassment. Yeah, he probably would've...

**~"But I thought -"**

**"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even under-age wizards and witches are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Things..."~**

"First off, that's not a real emergency Second off, it's the twentieth section of the Restriction of Underage Magic." Kingsley corrected, being well versed in the law for his job as Head Auror. Dorea glowered.

"Didn't help me this summer..." she grumbled. Bill patted Doreas head reassuringly, only to get swatted by Dorea. "I'M NOT A BLOODY _DOG_, BILL!" she shouted, anger causing her voice to rise. Bill's eye twitched and he bonked Dorea's head non-too gently.

"Don't shout at me, _brat_." he growled. Dorea glared icily at him.

"Who're you calling _brat_?" she demanded. Bill pulled on Dorea's cheek and stuck out his tongue at her.

"_You_, because you're _acting_ like a _brat_." he explained. Dorea twitched in anger one more time before she turned back around, refusing to look at Bill. She slid off his lap, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Lily could only sigh, of _all_ the times for the two of them to be immature!

**~Dorea's feeling of panic turned suddenly into excitement at the thought of doing something as daring as flying a car to Hogwarts.~**

James couldn't help but grin.

"You take after me in that aspect, Bambi!" he said happily, ignoring the tense atmosphere around his daughter and Bill. Damn, those two really know how to suck the joy outta things... he thought, watching his daughter and future son-in-law with exasperated eyes.

**~"Can you fly it?"~**

"Reasonable question." McGonagall grumbled. At least Dorea made sure that Ron knew how to fly that car before they flew it.

**~"Sure, no problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. "C'mon, let's go, if we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express."**

**And they marched off through the crowd of curious muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the Ford Angelia was parked. Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. Together, they heaved their luggage in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got in the front.~**

"Hedwig should've gone in between the two of you, it's more secure there." Michaela insisted. Dorea sighed.

"Michaela, this already happened! You can't change the past, no matter how much you'd like to!" she barked. Michaela flinched, knowing that Dorea had her there. If only she could change the past, there was so much that she would do to prevent that from happening...

**~"Check that no one's watching, would you?" asked Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Dorea stuck her head out the window, traffic was rumbling along the ain road ahead, but their street was empty.~**

"There are still the people inside." Moody growled, his magical eye fixing on an angry Dorea. She glared at the man.

"Yeah yeah, we get it, constant vigilance." she spat. Everyone blinked at Dorea's sudden sour mood, what had happened to make her feel like this? Lily sent an equally sour Bill a glare, knowing full well that Bill made this happen when he called Dorea a brat.

**~"Okay," she said.**

**Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished - and so did they. Dorea could feel the seat vibrating beneath her, hear the engine, feel her hands on her knees and her glasses on her nose, but for all she could see, she had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.~**

No one could hold back their snickers, Dorea had quite the interesting imigaery and imagination right there.

**~"Let's go," said Ron's voice from her right.**

**And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole city of London lay, smoky and flittering, below them.~**

"That would be an impressive sight." Naomi commented, making Galandriel twitch. She knew that sound, but she just couldn't put her finger on it... Where had she heard it before...

Dorea nodded at what Naomi said, though she still looked a little angry. "It's even better a night." she said, venom filling her voice. Bill twitched a little, part of him knew that it was his fault that Dorea was acting like this, but she was just being so childish that he couldn't help but stay angry at her, no matter how hypocritical that sounded!

**~Then there was a popping noise and the car, Dorea, and Ron all reappeared.~**

"That's not good..." Ginny muttered, a little worried. She sent Dobby a look, who began furiously shaking his head, denying whatever she was thinking.

"I's was not fiddling with the Booster! I's was going home after blocking the barrier!" he insisted. Ginny nodded, so it was just that the Booster had been faulty after all...

**~"Uh-oh..." said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty..."**

**Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.~**

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that we didn't use it, then..." Arthur muttered, looking at his wife. The Runes that he had attached to the button must have lost their charge...

**~"Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.**

**"Now what?" said Dorea, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.**

**"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.~**

Everyone nodded. That meant they had to dip back down, look for the train, see what direction it was heading in, and then follow it. Simple enough, they could pass for a strange bird at the height they must be at now.

**~"Dip back down again - quickly -"**

**They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.**

**"I can see it! Dorea suddenly yelled, making Ron jump. "Right ahead - there!"**

**The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.**

**"Due north." said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so - hold on..."**

**And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.**

**It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.~**

"That sounds lovely..." Luna said dreamily, everyone that loved flying nodding in agreement with the statement. Dorea's descriptions just sounded so much like something being spewed out of a poet's pen, so descriptive and beautiful.

**~"All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron.~**

"Arthur?" Remus asked, making all the Weasley children nod.

"Yep." they said, though Bill's was by far the most bitter sounding. Sirius sighed, would those two just kiss and make up already?

**~They looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop.~**

"I know that feeling." James and Sirius grinned at each other, they felt like they after every prank they successfully pulled and didn't get caught for. What with the Prewett Twins being only 1 year below them, it was difficult for anyone to figure out which group of pranksters it was.

**~It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Dorea, was surely the only way to travel - past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack to toffees in the glove compartment and the prospect of seeing Fred and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle.~**

"Well, you were wrong about how you landed, but we were jealous. That had to be the best entrance I've ever heard of." George grinned cheekily, making Ron and Dorea flush at the praise they were receiving for their crash landing in the Whomping Willow.

**~They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicoloured ants, villages with tiny toy churches.~**

Those that understood the references laughed, while many others had dreamy looks at the thought of seeing that for themselves.

**~Several uneventful hours later, however, Dorea had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off.~**

"It always does..." Harry sighed, thinking back to the Horcrux Hunt. It had been full of adrenaline and fun at the beginning, when they felt as though they were just on a camping trip to avoid Voldemort and his followers. But then reality kicked in full force, Ron abandoned them, and he and Hermione made absolutely no progress. All good things came to an end...

**~The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. She and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Dorea's T-shirt was sticking to the back of her seat and her glasses kept sliding down to the end of her sweaty nose.~**

"Ew," James said, touching his glasses subconsciously. "That's... That's just gross..."

**~She had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice-cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. Why hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?~**

"Because I had a crazy House Elf determined to keep me from danger, even though he put me in more than I would've been in to begin with." Dorea mumbled, making Bill shift. Maybe he should've cut her some slack, he did get her riled up on purpose, after all...

**~"Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"**

**It was still right below them, winding its way past a snow-capped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.**

**Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.**

**Dorea and Ron exchanged nervous glances.~**

Almost everyone in the room did the same thing.

**~"It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before..."~**

"It's probably running out of gas..." Lily suggested. Smith sneered at the thought of that car being alive.

"As if that car's alive, genius." he snapped. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"You don't be saying that later." she said cryptically, making Molly turn to look at Arthur.

"_What_ did you _do_ to that car?" she asked. Arthur paled.

"I-I don't really know..." he muttered back. Molly nodded, not comforted in the least at that thought.

**~And they both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker.~**

"Why didn't you just land?" McGonagall asked. Ron shrugged.

"We didn't know where we were. Would you have landed if you didn't know where you were?" he asked. McGonagall sighed, no, she wouldn't have. Moody nodded in approval, that was good thinking on their part!

**~Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Dorea pulled her sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.~**

"... I think that car's alive..." Hermione said, blinking in surprise. She didn't know that Mr. Weasley animated that car.

**~"Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to Dorea, "Not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously.**

**When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.**

**"_There_!" Dorea shouted, making Ron and Hedwig jump.~**

"Of course she did..." Ron grumbled as people laughed.

**~"Straight ahead!"**

**Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle~**

Those that remembered Dorea's description of Hogwarts from the first book sighed, thinking about what Hogwarts must've looked like for that perspective.

**~But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.**

**"Come on," Ron said consolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "Nearly there, come on -"**

**The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Dorea found herself gripping the edges of her seat very hard as they flew toward the lake. The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of his window, Dorea saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below.~**

Bill, ignoring the fact that he wasn't speaking to Dorea at the moment, pulled her into his lap and fiddled with her hair nervously. They didn't crash in the water, did they?

**~Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.**

**"Come on," Ron muttered.**

**They were over the lake - the castle was right ahead Ron put his foot down.**

**There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.**

**"Uh-oh," said Ron, into the silence.~**

"It might've been the wards," Hermione muttered to Ron, who nodded. That was probably what stopped the car at that exact moment.

**~The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.**

**"Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.**

**Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket.**

**"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield,~**

"Didn't work, and it was one of my worst ideas to date." Ron groaned. It was because he did that that he broke his wand, but if he hadn't broken his wand then Lockhart would have succeeded in erasing their memories... So maybe it was a good thing that he did that after all.

**~but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them**

**"MIND THAT TREE!" Dorea bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late.**

**CRUNCH.~**

"Please don't be..." James muttered, thinking back to the title. It couldn't be _that_ tree... _Could_ it?

**~With an ear-splitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig was shrieking in terror; a golf ball-size lump was throbbing on Dorea's head where she had hit the windshield; and to her right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.**

**"Are you okay?" Dorea said urgently.~**

"You could possibly have a concussion, and yet you only ask about Ronald." Madam Bones sighed. Madam Pomfrey started grumbling.

"She didn't _possibly_ have a concussion, she _did_ have a concussion. That's why her detention was much more lax than Ronald's, I didn't want her to have to move around too much in fear of worsening it. The only way to help concussions is to let them heal through time." she said, making Madam Bones nod. So Dorea did have a concussion, but she didn't seem to care about that at all.

**~"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand -"**

**It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.~**

"You said you did that in Herbology!" Molly shrieked, her eyes narrowed on her son. Susan rolled her eyes.

"What, did you think he wanted to get another Howler? Of course he wouldn't have told you, not after the first one!" she barked. Molly glared at Susan, she didn't like that girl because she challenged the way that Molly raised her children.

**~Dorea opened her mouth to say she was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school, but she never even got started.**

**At that very moment, something hit her side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending her lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.~**

James, Sirius, and Remus all groaned, knowing exactly what tree those two hit. Of course, it was just their luck that they hit the only tree at Hogwarts that hits back. Or rather, just Dorea's luck, that is.

**~"What's happen -?"**

**Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Dorea looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it.~**

"You hit the bloody Whomping Willow..." Lily muttered, running her fingers through her hair. Honestly, couldn't Dorea catch a break? Just once?

**~The tree they had hit was attacking them.**

**Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.**

**"Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in -**

**"Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Dorea's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.~**

People winced in sympathy, that mustn't have felt nice...

**~"We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating - the engine had restarted.**

**"Reverse!" Dorea yelled, and the car shot backward;~**

"Wait, what?" Charlie asked in confusion. Dorea chuckled.

"You're dad brought that car to life. No idea how, but he did." she explained simply. Charlie nodded, looking more confused than ever. How did that happen?

**~the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.**

**"That," panted Ron, "Was close. Well done, car -"~**

Several people with good humour couldn't help but clap for the car, making almost everyone in the Hall burst into laughter.

**~The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Dorea felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing she knew she was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look.**

**Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.**

**"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!"~**

"Correction, that would be _mum_ that would kill you." Ginny said, looking at Ron. Ron nodded grimly, it was purely by the miracle of them winning the lottery that his mother didn't kill him when he got home that summer.

**~But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.**

**"Can you believe our luck?" said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."~**

"You mean my luck." Dorea snorted. Ron couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, I do." he replied, only to get a pillow thrown at his head.

**~"What did your father _do_ to that car?" Dorea asked Ron, who was glancing over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.**

**"I've got no idea" Ron muttered, slowly edging over to his trunk.**

**"Come on, said Dorea wearily. "We'd better get up to the school..."**

**It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.**

**"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey - Dorea - come and look - it's the Sorting!"**

**Dorea hurried over and, together, she and Ron peered in at the Great Hall. Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.~**

"So descriptive..." Bill muttered, playing with Dorea's hair once again. Dorea couldn't help but lean into his touch, it felt so damn good!

**~Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Dorea saw a long line of scared-looking first years filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair.~**

Dorea yanked on a piece of Bill's hair, only for him to cry out and yank on a piece of her hair in return. The two began a childish hair-pulling war, and everyone laughed at their antics. Elront bared his teeth and let out a his as he recognized Naomi's laughter. She was a _siren_, or at least part siren!

**~Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.**

**Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor,~**

Said House let out wild cheers.

**~Hufflepuff,~**

The cheers were more tamed, but still loud none the less.

**~Ravenclaw,~**

All the Ravens cheered for their House.

**~and Slytherin).~**

Surprisingly, several Slytherins let out cheers for their House.

**~Dorea well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in her ear. For a few horrible seconds she had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other - but she had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys.~**

Once again, the Gryffindors all cheered for Dorea being placed in their House over the Slytherins.

**~Last term, Dorea and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.~**

The cheers grew in volume and in enthusiasm while the Slytherins playfully booed the loss of their winning streak.

**~A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. Dorea's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Dorea saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.**

**"Hang on..." Dorea muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table... Where's Snape?"~**

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"He came in about halfway through the feast... What was he doing the rest of the time?" she asked the Twins, who shrugged.

"Hell is we know." they said, ignoring their mother's scowl at their language. They were adults, they could care less at the moment.

**~Professor Severus Snape was Dorea's least favourite teacher. Dorea also happened to be Snape's least favourite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.~**

"That's putting it lightly..." Sally Anne grumbled. Everyone hated Snape, there was a reason he was known as the Greasy Dungeon Bat.

**~"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.**

**"Maybe he's left," said Dorea, "Because he missed out on the Defence Against Dark Arts job again!"**

**"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him -"~**

Lily winced.

"Aaand he's right behind you, isn't he?" she muttered. Sirius snorted.

"Snivellus is good at appearing where he isn't wanted." he grumbled, thinking back to the Whomping Willow incident in his sixth year. He hadn't meant to get the greasy bastard killed, he hadn't thought that he would actually go after Remus...

**~"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "He's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."~**

"Yep, that's him." Astoria nodded.

**~Dorea spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.**

**"Follow me," said Snape.**

**Not daring even to look at each other, Dorea and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.~**

Lily narrowed her eyes.

"You could have just taken them into an abandoned classroom, Snivellus. There was no reason to drag them down into your office." she scolded. Snape mentally flinched, he had no idea that Lily would have hated him so much for treating Dorea the way he had...

**~"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.**

**They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment.**

**The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.**

**"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Dorea Potter and her faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, children?"~**

"Just because she arrived in a way that I'm proud of, does't mean that she's me, Snivellus. I may have been a bullying prat when I was a child, but at least I grew up and aren't holding a grudge against your daughter." James snarled. Dorea blinked in surprise. Wait - so her father bullied Snape before he matured? That would explain why Snape hated her so much.

**~"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it -"**

**"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"**

**Ron gulped.**

**This wasn't the first time Snape had given Dorea the impression of being able to read minds. But a moment later, she understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.**

**"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: _FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES._ He began to read aloud: "_Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower... At noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police..._ Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear... His own son...~**

"Severus, we are going to have a very long talk about your attitude towards students at this school." Dumbledore ground out, fury clearly heard in his voice. Harry blinked, so Dumbledore had never been aware of how Snape treated his students? But surely he must have gotten complaints about him!

**~Dorea felt as though she'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car... She hadn't thought of that ...**

**"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.~**

"You hate that tree even more than I do, and that's saying something." Remus spat, glaring at Snape for how he had been treating his cub.

**~"That tree did more damage to us than we -" Ron blurted out.**

**"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."~**

"DON'T YOU THREATEN MY DAUGHTER WITH EXPULSION EVER AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME, SNIVELLUS?!" Lily screamed, glaring icily at Snape. The hook nosed man refused to look at the love of his life, he had no idea that she would be this angry...

**~Dorea and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Dorea didn't feel hungry any more. She now felt extremely sick. She tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk. If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.**

**Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Dorea had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either she had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or she had never seen her this angry before.**

**She raised her wand the moment she entered; Dorea and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.~**

McGonagall started spluttering.

"Raise my wand - on students - _never_ in my lifetime - _ALBUS_!" she roared. Dorea raised her hands.

"Natural instinct, you were angry and we didn't know what you were going to do." she explained. McGonagall calmed down some, but was still angry that the two thought that she would actually raise her wand on students.

**~"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire. "Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.**

**Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.**

**"-so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."**

**"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Dorea.**

**Dorea gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done.**

**"I - I didn't think -"**

**"That," said Professor McGonagall, "Is obvious.~**

"She was panicking! You can't expect a 12 year old to be thinking when they were panicking!" James shouted, angry at his once favourite professor for treating his daughter the way that she had. McGonagall flinched, she had been so angry with her Cubs that time that she hadn't thought about that...

**~There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Dorea's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and Dorea suddenly found herself wishing she and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.~**

"I'm sorry about that, Dorea, Ronald." Dumbledore apologized. Ron just shook it off.

"I was just wishing that Snape was yelling at us again, being yelled at is easier to deal with than disappointment. Actually," Ron turned to Dorea. "That was the first time you've ever dealt with disappointment, wasn't it?" he asked. Dorea nodded slowly.

"The Dursleys were never disappointed in me, just angry. I can deal with anger much better than disappointment..." she mumbled. Lily hugged her daughter, tears in her eyes. She shouldn't have had to deal with the Dursleys to begin with.

**~There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."**

**It would have been better if he had shouted. Dorea hated the disappointment in his voice.~**

Dorea suddenly shuddered.

"No, disappointed Dumbles is much better than angry Dumbles. Much, much better." she said, recalling the image of an angry Dumbledore from last June as he broke down the DADA room door and stunned the fake Moody.

**~For some reason, she was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. She told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though she and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. She knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Dorea had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.**

**"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.**

**"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.**

**"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.**

**Dorea looked quickly at Dumbledore.~**

"I could never bring myself to expel her..." Dumbledore muttered, blinking away the tears. _She's so much like Arianna..._

**~"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."~**

Hermione gasped.

"Ron, you were expelled _too_?" she asked, making Ron hold up his hands in defeat.

"You caught us, end of second year." he joked, grinning at Hermione. Everyone that had been at school at that time froze, remembering what had happened. Dorea had defeated whatever Slytherin's monster was, saved Ginny Weasley and the school, oh, and had won the House Cup for Gryffindor once again.

**~Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled. He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree - surely acts of this nature -"**

**"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these children's punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample -"~**

Everyoe couldn't but laugh, that was such a Dumbledore-like thing to do.

**~Snape shot a look of pure venom at Dorea and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.**

**"You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."**

**"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve.~**

Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"Dorea had a concussion, a sprained ankle, bruised ribs, a dislocated elbow, and a cracked pelvis. Ronald had to get that cut magically sewn back together, he had several hairline cracks in his skull, several dislocated or broken fingers, and popped knee. You both downplayed your injuries majorly." she announced. Molly and Arthur froze as they heard the injuries that their son sustained, he was lucky that he hadn't been killed...

**~"Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted -"**

**"The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."**

**"Oh, good," said Ron.**

**"And speaking of Gryffindor -" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Dorea cut in:**

**"Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so - so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it - should it?" she finished, watching her anxiously.~**

The Twins snorted.

"That won't work." they sang. Ron snickered at them. They would be so jealous when they found out how they got off with what they did.

**~Dorea employed her Kicked Puppy Dog Eyes for extra measure, and watched as Professor McGonagall's willpower faded.~**

George huffed.

"Not fair, she had a secret weapon." he grumbled, but blushed as Hermione rested her head on his arm. Her hair was so soft, even though it was a bit bushy...

**~Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but she was sure she had almost smiled.~**

"You're father gave me that excuse after he hexed Severus on the train one year." McGonagall muttered, watching as Bill and Dorea made up for whatever fight they had been in and started cuddling once again. She hoped they were getting together soon, she had bet that they would get together by the end of this book...

**~Her mouth looked less thin, anyway.**

**"I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Dorea's heart lightened considerably. "But you will both get a detention."**

**It was better than Dorea had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Dorea knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed her flat.~**

Growls sounded as Petunia smirked, that had been exactly what she had thought when she had gotten that letter.

**~Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of-iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.**

**"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast. Madam Pomfrey will be up shortly to assess the damage that the Whomping Willow may have done to you."**

**When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.**

**"I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.**

**"So did I," said Dorea, taking one, too.**

**"Can you believe our luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them."~**

"_What_?" Molly hissed, glaring at her twin boys. Fred and George were either looking at the walls of the Great Hall or at the ceiling, which was grey and cloudy today.

**~He swallowed and took another huge bite. "Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"**

**Dorea shrugged.**

**"We'll have to watch our step from now on, though," she said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast..."**

**"She didn't want us showing off," said Ron sagely. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car."~**

McGonagall and Dumbledore nodded. They hadn't wanted anyone to think that they could do that and get away with it.

**~When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armour, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress~**

Dorea refused to look at Nick when he stared at her incredulously.

"I never believed her to be fat." he muttered. Ginny sighed.

"We know her as the Fat Lady, Nick." she said. Dorea whistled innocently.

"Her name may or may not be Agnis..." she sang. Bill looked mildly disturbed.

"I - she - _Agnis_?" he asked, staring at Dorea. She blinked.

"What? All I did was ask for her name in second year." she said simply. "No one else wanted to talk to me because of bloody rumours..." Bill tensed up at this._ No... Not again... She wasn't ostracized **again**..._

**~"Password?" she said as they approached.**

**"Er -" said Dorea.**

**They didn't know the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them.~**

"Minnie," Remus pulled Sirius in the way of the hex McGonagall sent his way. "You really should have told them the password so they wouldn't have this problem." McGonagall froze. She really should have...

**~"There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumours - someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car "**

**"Well, we haven't been expelled," Dorea assured her.~**

"Half truth, never denied the flying car." Dorea sang happily. Lily sent James an exasperated look, did their daughter have Bipolar Disorder?

**~"You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.**

**"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "And tell us the new password."**

**"It's `wattlebird,"'~**

Lily laughed.

"Scold then give them what they want, otherwise they won't stick around." she advised Hermione, who nodded.

"Doesn't help that Dorea tunes me out, though..." she grumbles. She couldn't count the amount of times she would be scolding Dorea over something stupid that she did, and then say something completely random, only for Dorea to continue looking as bored as she had been during the scolding.

**~said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point -"**

**Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping.~**

McGonagall sighed as the Lions laughed and cheered once more. They were the party house, they would find any reason to party, and party they would. Sometimes they had parties in the middle of the week just for the hell of it.

**~It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Dorea and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after then.**

**"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years -"~**

"I thought it was just a story..." a first year Slytherin muttered, watching as Dorea blushed bright red. "Just like the Chamber of Secrets..." Dorea blinked and turned.

"Oh, it's real alright. I found it." she said. "You need Parseltongue to enter, which is why it wasn't found for almost 1000 years." Professor Binns looked incredibly disturbed by this information. What other legends weren't just legends, if the Chamber was one of them?

**~"Good for you," said a fifth year Dorea had never spoken to; someone was patting her on the back as though she'd just won a marathon; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"**

**Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Dorea could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off.~**

"Sorry, but you drove an illegan car to Hogwarts!" Percy defended. Dorea shrugged, she hadn't really cared at the time.

**~Dorea nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.**

**"Got to get upstairs - bit tired." he said, and they both pushed their way to opposite ends of the Common room, which would lead to two different spiral staircases and to the dormitories.**

**"Night." Dorea called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.~**

Hermione grinned and jokingly threw a book at Dorea, only it hit Bill's chest instead. Dorea cooed as Bill rubbed the spot filled with pain on his chest.

"Aw, does Billy need a kiss to make it better?" she teased. Bill smirked at the now blushing Dorea, who just realized what she had offered.

"Yes please," he muttered, burying his face in Dorea's hair. "It hurts so much, please kiss it better, sweety..." he whispered, then blushed as he felt Dorea kiss his chest through his shirt. _Dammit, he did not need a repeat of this morning!_

**~She managed to get to the other side of the common room, still getting her back slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase.**

**She hurried up it, right to the top, and at last she reached the door of her old dormitory, which had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS.**

**She entered the familiar, circular room, with it's six four-poster beds hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Her trunk had been brought up for her and stood at the end of her bed. She sighed. She knew that she shouldn't have enjoyed that, but being respected for something that she remembered felt loads better than for something that she couldn't.~**

Everyone nodded. That made sense, seeing as how she hated her fame for the reason that she couldn't remember what had happened and because it made her an orphan.

**~The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor girls, Fay Dunbar, Dianna Vane, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil.**

**"Unbelievable!" beamed Fay.**

**"Cool," said Parvati.**

**"Amazing," said Dianna, awestruck.**

**Dorea couldn't help it. She grinned, too.~**

Naomi closed the book and looked around, trying not to flinch as she heard Elront's almost silent growls.

"That's the chapter, who wants to read next?" she asked as lunch appeared on the tables.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 12,080**

**Review Count: 708**

**SWEET MERLIN GUYS! I know I asked for 690, but you guys went above and beyond that! I love you all so much right now!**

**Review Goal: 740**

**COME ON GUYS! I KNOW YOU CAN HIT THIS ONE EASILY! SO GO FOR IT!**

**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER!**


	27. Book 2: Chapter 6

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

**Good news everyone! I finally have a beta! Yes, the one, the only, SIERRA! She offered to be my beta for this story, and since I speak to her almost all the time I can find out exactly where she is in editting the story! It just makes everything a lot easier, considering that she's the one that picks up most of the mistakes that I make in a chapter anyway.**

**And for everyone who loves Molly - I'm sorry, but I can't get the fact that she sent a Howler to her son that pretty much blamed him for all the problems that they were facing at the moment. So, my thoughts on that Howler are represented through Susan this chapter. I admire Molly and I love her character, I really do, but I just can't stand how she treats her children sometimes. I mean, she can barely even tell the Twins apart! Every mother should be able to tell their identical twins apart!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**MistBlade8: Yes, yes they did, and over the most immature thing possible. Agnis was the first name to pop into my head, so yes, he name shall from this day forward be Agnis. We may, depends on whether or not they re mentioned in the books.**

**bloomnskyrules: Well, she's a little anti-Susan because of how Susan criticizes how Molly raises her children and points out the facts that don't make Molly as perfect a mother as most people think she is, I mean seriously, every real mother should be able to tell her twins, identical or not, apart! Well, that part is gonna be fun to write... Especially since I'm planning on having Dorea with Bill when she decides to attempt to seduce him. I honestly think that Dobby making them run late is the only reason that Fred and George would forget prank items or their brooms. I mean, honestly? There's no other way. I fought the fight would be an excellent way to show that even though the two of them are very mature, they're inexperienced in personal relationships that they want with the other and don't really know how to react to each other the way that most couples do yet. Yeah, but this is a Snape-bashing fic. I don't like how in canon Dumbledore forgave Snape for countless torturing and murders just simply because he was in love with Lily and asked Voldemort to spare her.**

**917brat: I find that I prefer many femHarry Charlie fics because they make the femHarry a more independent and wild person than canon Harry is, and I love that style of Harry.**

***hiding in emo corner* griffindork93 didn't review... Ooh, and because a guest wanted to know how Dorea s name is pronounced(at least how I pronounce it), it's Door-ree-ah. *back in emo corner* why didn't she review... She always review... Why hasn't she reviewed...?**

**~O~O~O~**

Naomi looked around for someone to offer to read, ignoring Elront's growling to her right. Elves, especially High Elves in particular, hated sirens because they made it a habit to drown any elf they could find. Naomi still didn't understand why, her mother had sent her a letter saying it was something that involved that a young siren long ago that set off the hatred between the two creatures. Naomi could understand why sirens were so willing to hate elves in that sense; they were seriously overprotective of their young. Even though her mother wasn't allowed to see her since she was only half-siren, her mother sent her almost daily letters, most of them asking how she was doing, about Luna, about how well her control was, things along those lines.  
Once lunch was over, Theo cleared his throat.  
"If you don't mind, I'll read." he offered. Naomi nodded and levitated the book over to the Slytherin boy, who opened it to the next chapter and groaned. Of course, he just had to get the chapter about the blonde ponce himself.

**~CHAPTER SIX GILDEROY LOCKHART~** he read, making everyone that had been taught by Lockhart or had been forced to work with him groan and sink in their seats.  
"Why is there a bloody chapter dedicated to that idiot?" Sirius groaned. Dorea began brooding.  
"That stupid fraud just ended up appearing everywhere, no matter what we tried to do to stay away from him." she grumbled. Bill's eye twitched, that ponce had better not have sexually harassed Dorea...

**~The next day, however, Dorea barely grinned once. ~ **

Those who remembered that day grimaced, it had been truly horrible, especially that Howler...

**~Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon,~**

The people that had empty pits for stomachs, namely the Weasley boys, all groaned at the thought of how good that must have tasted.

**~beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Dorea and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug.~ **

Moody snorted.

"That book was completely unrealistic, vampires need blood to live. They can survive for a short time on animal blood, but human blood is a necessity. A vampire could never survive off lettuce." he grunted, everyone who knew anything about that specific creature nodding at what he said.

**~There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Dorea that she was still disapproving of the way they had Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Dorea had ever met. ~ **

Dorea winced.

"Sorry Nev." she muttered. Neville just waved it off easily.

"It's true, there's nothing to apologize about." he replied, thinking about how that had been changing since he joined the DA. He didn't know how Dorea did it, but she was bringing out the skill that his... That his godfather had told he had all through his third year. It was odd, knowing that his ex-professor was his godfather. Neville pondered what had happened that year. Dumbledore had probably made an exception to the rule because he had been hard-pressed to find a DADA professor...

**~"Mail's due any minute I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."**

**Dorea had only just started her sugar-filled porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.~**

Bill sighed.

"You really should let us buy you a new owl, it wouldn't be any problem for either Charlie or I to do." he said. Molly and Arthur flushed as Charlie nodded in agreement with his elder brother's statement, they didn't want to rely on their sons when they weren't even in the same country as them...

**~"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, Unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak. ~**

Bill's jaw dropped as he looked at his mother in horror.

"You _didn't_." he whispered. Molly's face burned bright red as Gideon glared at his older sister.

"I thought you sent a letter to mum during your fifth year explaining that none of your friends were getting Howlers anymore, and were instead teasing you for getting them every other week. Is my memory wrong?" he growled. Molly flinched, she thought that students still received Howlers and that their parents would just stop when they thought that their children were old enough to know better, that's what happened when she went to Hogwarts... She really hadn't realized how badly things had changed since she was in school...

**~"Oh, no " Ron gasped.**

**"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.**

**"It's not that it's that."**

**Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Dorea, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode. ~**

"Well we were! It was a Howler!" Ron said, emphasizing the fact that his mother sent him a Howler. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"I didn't know that then!" she said, leaning her head back on Bill's chest. Was it just her imagination, or was his heart pounding harder than normal...?

**~"What's the matter?" said Dorea out of concern for Ron, who was extremely pale.**

**"She's she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.**

**"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" he gulped "it was horrible."~**

"Norbert incident?" Hermione asked. Neville nodded once.

"Norbert incident." he confirmed.

**~Dorea turned from the petrified faces to look at the red envelope.**

**"What's a Howler?" she asked. Little did she know her question was not about to be answered by either of her friends, but by that envelope itself.**

**Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.**

**"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes "**

**Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. ~**

"Good idea." Theo muttered, and offered the book to Dorea. Chuckling, she summoned it to herself, opened to the page, and began to focus on her imitating skills. Bill took the opportunity to cover his own ears, knowing just how loud Dorea could be when she wanted to be from the trip to the Hospital Wing. Lily and James slowly followed the redhead's lead, not fully knowing why they were doing so.

**~A split second later, Dorea knew why. She thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.**

**"-STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"~**

"The guilt trip." Charlie said dully, having gotten his fair share of Howlers when he was at Hogwarts.

Everyone else, however, was jumping at how well Dorea was mimicking the shrieking Molly Weasley. Dumbledore had to hand it to her, the girl had talent.

**~Mrs. Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder than usual, ~**

Bill winced sympathetically.

**~made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.~**

"That was what made it obvious." Susan whispered to Ron, who nodded. "Add in the fact that it was rumoured that you and Dorea drove a flying car to Hogwarts and we all knew you had gotten the Howler."

**~" LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND DOREA COULD BOTH HAVE DIED "~**

"Don't drag my daughter into your Howlers." James growled. Molly winced a little, she hadn't really been thinking when she sent that Howler...

**~Dorea had been wondering when her name was going to crop up. ~**

"You shouldn't be wondering that to begin with." Ginny sighed. "It's just wrong to assume that you're going to always be the center to scoldings."

**~She tried very hard to look as though she couldn't hear the voice that was making her eardrums throb. ~**

The Twins snickered at the mention of that.

"You looked like you were contemplating murder." George said. Dorea looked at him with interest.

"Did I really?" she asked. Seeing their nods, Bill could have sworn that he heard Dorea mumble something along the lines of "needing to fix that" before she continued reading.

**~"- ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT, AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."~**

"Now that's just plain cruel." Charlie scowled. Ron was going to be bullied mercilessly by Malfoy now because of that one statement. Dorea levitated the book back over to Theo, who found where the ravenette left off and began to continue.

**~A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Dorea and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again. ~**

"There ought to be a Ward that prevents Howlers or harmful letters from coming through, Howlers are just pointless and, well, harmful letters, that just speaks for itself." Remus said musingly. Dumbledore nodded and sent Bill a look, one that said that the two of them would be working on doing that over the next week.

**~Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head.**

**"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you -"~**

"That's not the time, Hermione." George whispered.

**~"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.**

**Dorea pushed her porridge away. Her insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for her over the summer ~**

"Dorea dear, I didn't mean to-" Susan cut Molly off.

"What, so you're favouring _her_ over your own _son_? When _you_ brought her up in that Howler, you _meant_ to make her feel guilty as well! If you didn't _want_ her to feel guilty over if either, then you shouldn't have _sent_ the damn Howler to _begin with_!" she snapped, feeling angry at the fact that Mrs. Weasley was apparently only concerned that Dorea felt guilty, when clearly Ron had felt just as, if not more, guilty. Ron looked at her in shock.

"No one's ever said anything like that to mum." he murmured, giving Susan a hug that his mother clearly disapproved of. Susan sighed, she really liked Molly Weasley, she really did, but sometimes the woman's logic and lack of fairness just made her want to scream.

**~But she had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Dorea took hers and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing~**

"I didn't know that was possible." Charlie muttered, staring at the Trio questionably.

**~Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again. ~**

"They got screamed at by Mrs. Weasley, just simply having to hear that is punishment enough." Hermione muttered, remembering how that Howler felt as though it was going to break her eardrums.

**~As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Dorea spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings. ~**

"Don't feel sorry for that damn tree." Remus grumbled, thinking guiltily about how it had only ever been there because he went to Hogwarts. Sirius, seeing the look on Remus' face, pinched his leg.

"We don't blame you for your time of month," Remus choked on spit. Since when had they been calling his lycanthropy by that? "We blame Greyback; he's the one that bit you to begin with." Remus couldn't help but smile when almost everyone that knew of his condition nodded in agreement. Daphne put on the cutest face she could muster up.

"Would you please teach us again? You were the greatest professor that we've ever had for DADA!" she pleaded. Umbridge sneered at the thought, her anger boiling as all the students in their third year and above were nodding in agreement, many of them shouting out that they could care less that Remus had his condition. Malfoy snarled, but remained silent. He didn't want to admit it, but Remus Lupin had been the best professor that they've ever had so far.

**~Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint.~**

Sprout smiled evilly at Petunia, who was eyeing her clothing in disgust. That woman clearly had no sense in cleanliness at all.

**~Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.~**

Dorea and most of the males in the room looked as though they were about to be sick.

**~"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! ~**

"Don't worry, no one did." Neville growled. He hated Lockhart because he suggested that he could possibly be better at Herbology than a professor that was known throughout the world for her skill with plants.

**~I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels -"~**

Dorea, Ron, and Hermione, the three that knew the truth about his travels, snorted in amusement. The ponce would soil his pants before he got close to one of the plants he claimed to have met.

**~"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self. ~**

Everyone who hated Lockhart nodded in understanding.

"To be honest, I wanted to chuck his books at his face." Dorea admitted, stage-whispering it conspiratingly. Lily, James, and Bill all burst into belly-aching laughter at the idea of Dorea actually hitting Lockhart in the face with one of his own books, while Remus and Sirius were rolling around on the floor, whipping the tears that came to their eyes from laughing so hard at the idea of how Lockhart would look if Dorea actually did that.

**~There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Dorea caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. She was about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out. ~**

Bill growled menacingly and clutched Dorea closer to his chest. _If that bastard did anything, if he did so much as touch Dorea, he would **kill** him._

**~"Dorea! I've been wanting a word you don't mind if she's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"**  
**Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face~**

"You should've said something, professor! I thought Hogwarts banned torture!" Blaise said in shock. Sprout scowled.

"I was about to when he shut that damn door in my face." she growled, glaring at the table. Stupid ponce didn't know what he had been talking about when it came to healing the Whomping Willow, and then he went and stole one of her students before she could tell him know. That bastard had better stay in Saint Mungo's with his memory loss.

**~"Dorea," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleamed in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Dorea, Dorea, Dorea."~**

"She knows her name." Ron spat, glaring at the book._ Stupid ponce had wanted Dorea because of her fame and because she was pretty..._

**~"Professor, I don't believe I gave you permission to call me by my name. It's very unprofessional, you know." Dorea ground out, her eye twitching in annoyance. Lockhart simply smiled at Dorea and pretended not to hear what she had just said. ~**

This time, almost everyone was twitching. Bill, James, Sirius, and Remus, however, were twitching out of the desire to strangle the bastard for clearly attempting to flirt with Dorea.

**~Instead, he just continued talking.**

**"When I heard - well, of course, it was my fault. Could have kicked myself."~**

"_What_ is that brainless bastard even _talking_ about?" Lily asked incredulously. Dorea's gaze darkened.

"You'll see in just a moment." she growled. She hated Lockhart because of what he did to the witches and wizards that deserved the fame for the things that they had done, the things that he had taken credit for.

**~Dorea had no idea what he was talking about. She was about to say so when Lockhart wrapped an arm around her should and went on, "Don t know when I ve been more shocked. ~**

"Oh, you'll be more shocked when I rip off your arms and stuff them down your throat." Bill growled almost uncharacteristically. Dorea stared at Bill with mild shock and admiration as the Marauders nodded in agreement.

"I call disemboweling that bastard for touching my baby girl without permission." James snarled. Lily nodded, her usually emerald eyes glowing a Killing Curse green.

"I'll help." she hissed. Those within 5 feet of the group of 6, minus Dorea, all began to inch their way away from the angry adults. They didn't want to do anything that would accidentally set them off and make them attack themselves by mistake.

**~ Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you'd done it. Stood out a mile. Dorea, Dorea, Dorea."~**

"She did it to get to school, dumbass." Hermione snarled, making George stare at the bushy haired girl in shock. But hadn't she been pro-Lockhart that year...?

**~It was remarkably disgusting how he could show every one of those brilliant teeth even when he wasn't talking. ~**

"That _is_ disgusting." Madam Bones said, crinkling her nose. Ugh, imagine having to actually listen to that man talking, let alone teaching...

**~"Gave you a taste for publicity, didn't I?" said Lockhart. "Gave you the bug. You got onto the front page of the paper with me and you couldn't wait to do it again."~**

"She's been on the front page hundreds of times before you ever got her there, she just didn't know it at the time." Bill snarled. Dorea looked at him in shock.

"I was _what_ now?" she asked. Remus nodded.

"Every October 31rst and the week leading up to it, up until you went to Hogwarts, the entire front page was dedicated just to you and once again thanking you for stopping Voldemort in his tracks." he explained, ignoring everyone that flinched or hissed at the alias. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Snake Face's real name is in the book, in the last few chapters. You'll see then that you precious Lord Voldemort," she ignored the flinches just like her uncle before her had. "Is really no better than a megalomaniac sociopath with major daddy issues." she snarled, looking over at Malfoy, who was confused. What did she mean daddy issues?

**~"Oh, no, Professor, see "~**

"And he cut you off, didn't he?" Sirius snarled, thinking about visiting the ponce as Padfoot.

**~"Dorea, Dorea, Dorea," said Lockhart, squeezing Dorea's shoulder and pressing her to his side, much to Dorea's discomfort. "I understand. Natural to want a bit more once you've had the first taste - and I blame myself for giving you that, because it was bound to go to your pretty little head-" Dorea shuddered as Lockhart complimented her. Not something she wanted to hear from this man. "But see here, little lady, you can't start flying cars to try and get yourself noticed. Just calm down, all right? Plenty of time for all that when you're older. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking! 'It's all right for him he's an internationally famous wizard already!'~**

"Actually, 'e was neever reeally known in France." Grabrielle corrected. Victor nodded in agreement.

"I think that he vas only famous in Britain." he stated. Molly blinked in surprise; she hadn't really known that, seeing as how one of Lockhart's books took place in Bulgaria.

**~But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you are now.~**

"Please, she's the Girl-Who-Lived! She's a worldwide celebrity! Like _that_ makes her a _nobody_." Bill huffed, hugging Dorea tightly. Dorea looked at him curiously.

"How would you know that?" she asked. His face burned bright red.

"Well, ah, you see - whenever I was making the charms for your bracelet," Bill smiled when he saw that Dorea was wearing it right now. "Either members of my team or another excavation team would always ask who it was for. When I told them that I was making it for you, they... Kinda had panic attacks at the thought that I knew you." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Dorea flushed as she caught herself thinking about how cute he looked when he did that.

"That makes sense..." she murmured, resting her head in the crook of Bill's neck. Bill felt his face flush as Dorea's hair tickled the underside of his chin. She was so close to him now...

**~In fact, I'd say I was even more of a nobody! I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they? ~**

Katie snorted.

"More like the entire wizarding world knows her name and what she did for us." she snarled, angry at the man who was flirting with her baby sister.

**~All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" He glanced at the lightning scar on Dorea's forehead, barely hiding the greed that glinted in his eyes. ~**

"So he wants her for her fame, does he?" Dan snarled, cracking his knuckles. People sent him wary glances, none of them knowing exactly how protective Dan could be of his friends.

**~"I know, I know it's not quite as good as winning Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times in a row, as I have but it's a start, Dorea, it's a start."~**

Harry shuddered; he had won that for the past 6 months in a row. Not fun when everyone thinks that he is, as Witch Weekly puts it, "The Wizarding World's Most Eligible Bachelor". _The fangirls were absolutely crazy..._

**~He gave Dorea a hearty wink and strode off, not knowing that Dorea was planning on asking someone to sanitize or even burn her clothing as soon as possible.~**

Everyone in the Hall laughed, that was definitely something that Dorea would think about doing and then actually does.

**~Dorea stood, horrified and stunned for a few seconds, then, remembering she was supposed to be in the greenhouse, he opened the door and slid inside.**

**Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Dorea had taken her place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"~**

"Thank you for waiting, professor." Dorea smiled at the short woman. Sprout beamed at Dorea.

"Of course I waited, dear, it was an important lesson and I refused to have one of my students miss it because of that ponce." she said, getting cheers from the students that hated Lockhart with a passion. Umbridge scowled at the Herbology professor, Gilderoy Lockhart was a fine wizard, and earned his fame fairly!

**~To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air.**

**"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. ~**

No one could hold back their laughter at the idea of Hermione doing that, while said girl threw yet another book at her younger sister. Dorea stared at Hermione in shock as it hit Bill once again.

"Damn, Hermione, how many books do you have?" she asked after Bill made her kiss that bruise better as well. Hermione smirked and upturned her bag, emptying it out onto the floor. Everyone was shocked to see an almost impossible amount off books fall out of it, creating a pile up to Hermione's knees. Lily squealed and clapped her hands.

"You learned the Undetectable Extension Charm and the Feather Weight Charm and used them on your bag!" she said happily, smiling at Hermione. Hermione flushed and nodded, while Flitwick looked at Hermione with pride.

"Those are NEWT level Charms, Ms. Granger. 20 points to Gryffindor for using them." he awarded, Dumbledore nodding in agreement. Umbridge scowled as she watched the Gryffindor Hourglass spill out even more rubies, that stupid House didn't deserve that many points... It was all Snape's fault for not being inconspicuous with his point taking...

**~"It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."**

**"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"**

**Hermione's hand narrowly missed Dorea's glasses as it shot up again. ~**

James and Sirius both chuckled as they thought of the times that either Remus of Lily did that to James. Sirius began snickering as he remembered the one time in Transfiguration during their seventh year that Lily actually knocked James' glasses over to the opposite side of the classroom.

**~"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.**

**"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."**

**She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in colour, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Dorea, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake, having barely read over her texts that summer thanks to the Dursley's and the Weasley's distracting her.**

**"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.**

**There was a scramble as everyone except Dorea tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. ~**

"Wait, why except you?" Bill asked out of curiosity. Dorea shrugged.

"They were _fluffy_." she said simply. Bill chuckled and shook his head, running his fingers through Dorea's tangled locks. Never question Dorea's logic; it would probably scar you for life.

**~"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on."**

**Dorea, who had been playing with the fluff on the earmuffs, snapped them over her ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.**

**Dorea let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear. ~**

"I think most of us did." Seamus said thoughtfully, thinking back to that lesson. He knew that he had gasped, that was for sure.

**~Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. ~**

"_That's_ an attractive plant." Lavender said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Peeves, still angry at Lavender for the way that she had treated his Potty, glared at the girl and dumped a goblet full of pumpkin juice on her head.

**~Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.**

**"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia.~**

"Considering the things that she's probably taken care of, it's just about the equivalent." Neville muttered thoughtfully. Luna's eyes glazed over for a moment, and when they returned to normal she nodded. Several of the plants that Sprout had taken care of was enough to make any second year soil themselves.

**~"However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.**

**"Four to a tray there is a large supply of pots here compost in the sacks over there and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."**

**She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Dorea knew by sight but had never spoken to.**

**"Justin Finch-Fletchley,"~**

Lily looked at Justin curiously.

"Any relation to Marie Flinch-Fletchley?" she asked. Justin flushed and nodded.

"She's my aunt." he said. Lily looked at him in shock.

"Is she really now?" she asked, surprised that she knew that relatives of so many muggleborn Hufflepuffs in Dorea's year.

**~he said brightly, shaking Dorea by the hand. "Know who you are, of course, the famous Dorea Potter And you're Hermione Granger always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) " and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?"**

**Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind. ~**

Justin flinched as Ron nodded.

"Sorry about that, didn't know." he mumbled. "Wasn't at breakfast that morning, I had gotten burned that morning when putting a log in the fire and Madam Pomfrey made me eat breakfast there.

**~"That Lockhart's something, isn't he?"~**

"Muggleborn and never met him." Justin defended himself. Once he met the man, then he stopped believing what those book he wrote said he did.

**~ said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I d been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and zap just fantastic.**

**"My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family "**

**After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. ~**

"That's normal, don't worry. I've had difficulty repotting them before as well." Sprout said soothingly, making the first years that hadn't done this yet calm down, as well as everyone who had done it before and had difficulty. It was good to know that it hadn't just been them.

**~They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Dorea spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot. ~**

"You could have simply asked for me to enlarge the pot, Lady Potter." Sprout said in concern. Dorea shrugged.

"You were busy helping Seamus with his Mandrake that had been attacking him (Seamus grumbled, it wasn't his fault that plants hated him...), I didn't want to bother either of you when it looked like the Mandrake was trying to bite his fingers off." she explained. Sprout nodded, that would explain why she hadn't noticed Dorea having difficulty, either.

**~By the end of the class, Dorea, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.**

**Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Dorea had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer. ~**

"And now I know why." McGonagall growled, glaring at the Dursleys for attempting to sabotage Dorea's school life.

**~She was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all she managed to do was give her beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding, her wand. It took Dorea a while to trap the beetle, but she finally managed to transfigure it into a silver button with a floral design around the edges. McGonagall looked at it, seemingly mildly impressed, before awarding Gryffindor 5 points for Dorea getting it on the first try. Hermione sent Dorea a challenging smile as she transfigured hers into a brass button with a thin lining of gemstones. ~**

"They sound really good, maybe we should teach her as well..." James muttered to Sirius, who nodded. They would also teach Ron, but he would take longer to learn how to become an Animagus than the other two.

**~Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair.**

**It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs.~ **

Arthur sighed.

"This is why you should have written home for a new wand..." he muttered. Ron's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Not writing home paid off at the end of the year, you'll see what I mean." he said quickly as everyone looked at him suspiciously while Dorea and Dumbledore both snickered, knowing exactly what had happened down in the Chamber that involved Lockhart.

**~Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased with the smoke in the slightest. ~**

Ron raised an eyebrow, so that was what she had been disappointed with?

**~Dorea was relieved to hear the lunch bell. Her brain felt like a wrung sponge and her pocket was filled with matching silver and gold buttons. Everyone filed out of the classroom except her and Ron, who was whacking his wand furiously on the desk.**

**"Stupid - useless - thing "**

**"Write home for another one," Dorea suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker. ~**

"Do we finally get his reason?" Charlie muttered, already knowing the answer. Susan had said it earlier, he believed. Ron hadn't wanted another Howler to follow the first one.

**~"Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag. "'It's your own fault your wand got snapped '"~**

"I-" Molly couldn't even defend herself. If she had known at the time that Ron had snapped it at the Whomping Willow, then yes, that would have been exactly what she would have said. She felt shame flood through her at the thought that her son knew exactly how she would have reacted and that he kept what really happened from her a secret for that reason.

**~They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione and Dorea comparing the perfect coat buttons that they had made in Transfiguration.~**

Both girls winced.

"Sorry Ron..." they muttered. Ron just waved it off, he knew how competitive those two where when it came down to their lessons.

**~"What've we got this afternoon?" said Dorea, hastily changing the subject as she sent Hermione a glance and hid her buttons back in her pocket.**

**"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.**

**"_Why_," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little _hearts_?"~**

George tickled the blushing girl's side, earning a playful whack from the fifth year.

"Stop that." she mock scolded, poking George's sensitive side. Fred sighed as the two started poking each other, they were acting like friends that liked each other but didn't even realize it yet.

**~Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously as Dorea laughed heartily at her two friends. ~**

Lily pinched Dorea's cheek and started scolding her about how she shouldn't laugh at her friends like that, only for James to add in that she can if she pranks them.

Needless to say, everyone got some free entertainment for about 10 minutes as James attempted to escape a fuming Lily Potter.

**~They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again. Dorea and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Dorea became aware that she was being closely watched. Looking up, she saw the very small, mousy-haired boy she'd seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night staring at Dorea as though transfixed. He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Dorea looked at him, he went bright red. Dorea's curiosity was piked, was the boy sick or something? ~**

Sirius and James laughed as Lily and Bill groaned. Lily because her daughter couldn't tell that Colin had a crush on her, and Bill because of the fact that Colin had a crush on his Dorea.

**~"All right, Dorea? I'm I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think would it be all right if I can have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.**

**"A picture?" Dorea repeated blankly, wondering if she should bring the boy to Madam Pomfrey to get checked over. It wasn't normal to be breathless from just standing there. ~**

Colin's friends were roaring with laughter as he slammed his head against the table. _That_ was what she thought of him? The poor little _sick_ kid? Merlin's beard, no _wonder_ she got sick of him following her around like some lost little puppy!

**~"So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Dorea's hairline) "And a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures will move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement, making Dorea a little concerned about his health, and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you," he looked imploringly at Dorea "Maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, c-could you sign it?"~**

Theo stared at Colin in shock as he finished that very, very long paragraph. He then looked at Dorea, who was watching a groaning Bill and Lily in confusion. How the _bloody_ _hell _did she confuse a _crush_ with _health_ _issues_?

**~"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Princess Potter?"**

**Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard. He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.~**

"That's a really good way to describe them, actually..." Daphne muttered while Crabbe and Goyle blinked in surprise. Was that how everyone thought of them, as brainless cronies?

**~"Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Dorea Potter's giving out signed photos!"**

**"No, I'm not," said Dorea angrily, her fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."**

**"You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck.**

**"Jealous?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."~**

"No, but what was in her scar does." James growled, glaring at the floor. Dumbledore felt himself calm; James said "_was_", meaning that she was no longer a Horcrux. That was good - but it also confirmed Dumbledore's theory that Voldemort made more than one Horcrux. He had thought that, perhaps, after the Diary had been given to him, that Voldemort had only made the one - but then he was resurrected in June, meaning that it was possible that there had been more. The only question was, how many had Voldemort made intentionally...

**~Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.**

**"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.**

**"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "'If you put another toe out of line' "~**

Molly flinched. Ah. So that was why her sons were so angry that she had sent a Howler. She had just given people ammunition to use against Ron, and because of her threat he couldn't do anything to fight against it.

**~A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.**

**"Weasley would like a signed photo, Princess Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house "**

**Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered,**

**"Look out!"~**

"Not the ponce, not the ponce, not the ponce..." Remus could be heard muttering, crossing his fingers.

**~"What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. "Who's giving out signed photos?"~**

"MERLIN DAMMIT!" Remus shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "SHOULD'VE KNOCKED ON WOOD!" Oliver suddenly looked at the werewolf warily.

_He doesn't mean me, does he...?_ He thought, staring at the ground in confusion.

**~Dorea started to speak but she was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around her shoulders, hugged her to his side tightly, and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Dorea!"~**

"Get your filthy paws off of her..." Bill growled viciously. Dorea looked up at Bill in confusion while Lily smirked.

_Possessive_.

**~Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Dorea saw Malfoy slide back into the crowd, a strange expression on his face.~**

Daphne and Blaise exchanged looks.

_Jealousy_.

_Anger_.

**~"Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait can't do better than that, and we'll both sign it for you."**

**Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signaling the start of afternoon classes.**

**"Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Dorea, who was wishing that there weren't any witnesses around so she could use that really nasty castration curse that she learned from the book that Professor Dumbledore sent her for her birthday on the blond man.~**

Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and Dorea was well within her rights, what with Lockhart harassing her the way he had been.

**~"A word to the wise, Dorea," said Lockhart almost huskily, and Dorea's opinion very creepily, as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much " Dorea got the shivers, bad shivers, as Lockhart ran a finger across her shoulders. ~**

"Keep your filthy paws off of Dorea, you pedophile." Bill growled nastily, glaring icily at the book. Theo felt a cold sweat come on as multiple glares were sent towards the book at once. Not good. He just had to read the part where Lockhart was trying to seduce Dorea... Just his luck.

**~They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Dorea go at last. Dorea yanked her robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where she busied herself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of her, so that she could avoid looking at the real thing.~**

"So _that's_ why you did that," Ron said, finally beginning to understand. "I thought you actually _liked_ the books."

**~The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of Dorea.**

**"You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron, poking Dorea's cheek. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Dorea Potter fan club."**

**"Shut up," snapped Dorea. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Dorea Potter fan club."~**

Suddenly, a large group of people looked away from Dorea as she facepalmed.

"... There isn't one, _is there_?" she groaned. Bill scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. Charlie grinned at his older brother.

"Bill tried to get them to stop the club, but even his scary face didn't work. You have some rabid fans, Dorea; I thought he was going to get mauled." Charlie said. Dorea curled up in the fetal position and started shuddering.

"Not the rabid fan boys... _Never_ the rabid fan boys..." she muttered. The Bulgarians had looks of equal horror on their faces at the thought of someone they cared about getting mauled by rabid fans. Rabid fans in themselves were terrifying...

**~When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.**

**"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. Dorea gagged from behind her books. ~**

A reaction that almost all the males in the Hall had as well.

**~"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, ~**

"How did he _get_ those, anyway?" Arthur asked. Madam Bones sent Fudge a glare, answering everyone's questions. The idiot Minister let the fraud ponce get what he wanted.

**~and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"~**

"Odd," Dorea said thoughtfully. "I wanted to run whenever he looked at me." Lily growled and Bill kissed Dorea's forehead.

"Yeah, but she wasn't being harassed by him." he muttered, holding Dorea closer to him than ever. Dorea smiled as Bill held her head right over her heart, and Fleur fumed. There was no other way. She would have to seduce him to win him over.

**~He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.**

**"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books well done. ~**

"It was on the bloody reading list!" Remus snapped, making people blink at him in shock. Remus never lost his temper. Ever. The only time it happened was once, and that was after Sirius nearly got Snape killed by Remus.

**~I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in..."~**

"That's not a bad idea..." McGonagall muttered, thinking about doing that for her NEWT and OWL students from now on. Flitwick nodded, that way you could make sure how far along the average student was with reading their texts ahead of time.

**~When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes start now!"**

**Dorea looked down at her paper and read:**

**What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? ~**

"The colour of his eyes." Bill said as people looked at the book incredulously.

**~2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition? ~**

"To seduce Dorea Potter, age 12." James snarled, his voice filled with venom at the thought of that man touching his innocent baby girl...

**~3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? ~**

"Tricking the wizarding world into believing that he performed all those stunts that he wrote about." Dorea said without hesitation, Ron and Hermione nodding in agreement.

**~On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:**

**54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be? ~**

"Not to be sued and arrested for sexual harassment and pedophilia." Remus spat.

**~Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.**

**"Tut, tut hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. ~**

"What kind of man has _lilac_ as his favourite colour?!" Michaela exclaimed, waving her arms around wildly. Charlie took the opportunity to grab her left arm and began to change the bandages, a jagged scab running vertically down her arm. Dan stared at it in shock, Michaela couldn't have intentionally done that, seeing as all the ones she did were intentional and neat. Michaela scowled at the sight of the scab.

"See Charlie? That's why you don't scare me when I'm on a ladder." she grumbled. Dan knew that if this were an anime, he would be sweatdropping. Did Michaela fall off a ladder - _again_? Charlie frowned as he began to rebandaged the goth's arm.

"Well I didn't think that you would fall off and cut your arm on the edge of the ladder!" he complained. Dan facepalmed. Yep. Michaela fell off _another_ ladder and hurt herself. _Again_.

**~I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples -~**

"As if." everyone snorted, thinking exactly what he would like. The ability to actually be able to use his brain.

**~though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Fire whiskey!"~**

"No one could." Dorea said happily. Bill eyed Dorea curiously.

"Gryffindor parties?" he asked. Dorea nodded as James began to whoop once again, thinking about the wild parties that they would have when he was at Hogwarts.

**~He gave them another roguish wink.**

**Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face; Dorea with disgust. ~**

"I didn't like Fire whiskey back then, tried it at the party the night before we left - it burned my throat." Dorea muttered an explanation, something that Lily twitched over but nodded. She only had a sip, it was to satisfy her curiosity, it's not like she drank an entire bottle of Fire whiskey when she wasn't even 12 yet... Tolerance... She had her first sip of alcohol from her parents when she was 5... It tasted awful then too... Lily puckered her lips in disgust.

She really hated scotch.

**~Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter.**

**Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.**

**"-but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions -~**

"How has no one _strangled_ him yet?" Dennis asked Colin, who shrugged.

"I think we were all too frozen in hatred in his classes to even think about doing that." he said. Dennis nodded, accepting that answer. It was the only way it made sense.

**~good girl! In fact" he flipped her paper over "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"**

**Hermione raised a trembling hand. ~**

Hermione threw yet another book at Dorea, only this time she couldn't dodge it so she caught it.

**~"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so to business "**  
**He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.**

**"Now be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."**

**In spite of herself, Dorea leaned around her pile of books for a better look at the cage. ~**

"Of course you are." Sirius sighed. "First Fluffy, then the First Task last year... Do you run into XXXXX monsters this year? Like what, a basilisk?" he chuckled, choosing the basilisk because it was the rarest and most dangerous monster in the world.

Bill froze when he saw Ron and Hermione's panicked looks._ No... No no no no... She couldn't have... Not a basilisk..._ _Maybe it was just the XXXXX comment... Yeah, that was it... If Dorea did face a basilisk..._ Bill's eye twitched. He would be forced to punish her for doing something as stupid as facing a basilisk, and she wouldn't like the punishment at all...

**~Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat.**

**"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."**

**As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.**

**"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."~**

Everyone in the Hall that hadn't been in that class burst into hysterical laughter. Neville was rubbing his ears, Ron was helping Hermione fix her hair, and Seamus and Dean were brushing off their robes. Dorea was, quite literally, the only calm person in the entire Hall. Finally, Michaela spoke.

"Th-They're no-not dang-danger-dangerous," she gasped for air. "But they sure are pests!" she fell in even deeper into her hysterics, falling over so she was lying across Charlie's lap, rolling around and clutching her stomach.

After Madam Pomfrey gave everyone a dose of Calming Draught, Theo continued reading.

**~Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.**

**"Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.**

**"Well, they're not they're not very dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.**

**"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"**

**The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.**

**"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage. ~**

"Wait," Charlie said slowly, sitting a lazy Michaela up on his lap. "He _actually released_ those in the _classroom_?"

Those that had been in that class nodded, though Dorea's nod was enthusiastic. Michaela sighed as she saw Dorea's happy face.

"Let me guess, they adored you, didn't they?" she asked. Once again, Dorea nodded enthusiastically, looking similar to a bobble-head toy.

**~It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. ~**

Sierra rubbed Neville's ears as though they had just been yanked.

**~The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling. The ones that were near Dorea had landed on her head and shoulders and were playing with her messy hair calmly. ~**

"How the _bloody hell_ does _that_ work out?" Ron asked, eyes twitching. Luna hummed and smiled at Ron.

"She has an animal affinity, animals in their right minds cannot harm her unless it's their instinct." she said happily. Dorea and Ron both thought back to Fluffy, Aragog, and in Dorea's case, the basilisk. That made a lot of sense, now that they thought about it, because those animals were either controlled or just doing what they felt was right...

**~"Come on now round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"~**

"... Did he actually just use a spell that isn't real?" Dumbledore groaned, holding his head in his hands. He should have just taught that class himself... Maybe he will next year...

**~It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. ~**

Ron had the most devilish grin on his face.

**~Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, ~**

"Coward..." most of the Gryffindors growled, glaring at the tables in front of them. Stupid Lockhart...

**~narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.**

**The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Dorea, Ron, and Hermione, who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him. ~**

"He _what_?" McGonagall hissed, glaring at the book. "Mr. Nott, please tell me that he did not just leave three second year students to deal with a mess that he started." Theo slowly slid the book up so as to hide his face, knowing that he couldn't answer that question. McGonagall began clenching the edge of the Staff Table, resisting the urge to find the ponce and then claw his eyes out. That was the most irresponsible thing a professor could do!

**~"Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.**

**"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, ~**

Everyone snorted at the excuse. As if, he was trying to save his own skin.

**~immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage. ~**

Flitwick nodded, happy that Hermione knew that Charm already.

**~"Hands on?" said Dorea, who held her hand out to a pixie that had been dancing out of Ron's reach with its tongue out. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing -"~**

"Dorea's right." Moody nodded.

**~"Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books look at all those amazing things he's done "**

**"He says he's done," Ron muttered. ~**

"Got it in one, Ron." Dorea congratulated. Theo closed the book and began to look around.

"Who wants to read next?" he asked.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 10,845**

**Well, not a very log chapter, but then again, the actual book chapter isn't very long either.**

**Review Count: 782**

***looks* *stares* *faints***

**Review Goal: 810**

***still unconscious***

**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**

***wakes up* Please leave a review and tell me what you think... *falls asleep***


	28. Book 2: Chapter 7

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC! Lavender bashing in this chapter - I just really don't like Lavender.**

**First update of 2013 everyone! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Funny thing happened the other day - at my house, usually the first person to get up from the dinner table after eating has to feed the dogs. So I finished first but sat around, waiting for my sister to finish so that she would get up first. Once she did and my dad asked her to feed the dogs, I stood up and gathered my plate and glass to put them in the dishwasher. She just looked at me, pointed, and said: "That's why you were waiting!" I just snorted and said: "I'm not stupid, I know the first person to get up has to feed the dogs." And my mom just smirked at me and said "That's my girl." while my brother and my dad just laughed. I'm pretty sure that my sister is still trying to convince the dogs that I don't love them because I don't feed them...**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**MistBlade8: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! *runs in circles, flailing arms wildly* Eh. I just wanted to have a freak out moment. I haven't had one in a while, so yeah... Well, I don't know if you have a Pottermore account or not(if you do PM me your username so I can make you my friend!), but in one chapter they show the library, and let me say, I WOULD LIVE THERE. There are 2 floors, the bookshelves are huge, as in they probably take up at least 1 story of a building, maybe 1 1/2 in height, so she was on a ladder to grab a book from high up on the shelf. As for Dorea's punishment - well, you'll just have to wait and see. Though she may enjoy it more than anything else...**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow: Yes, animal affinity. No, it won't change her interactions with Aragog or the basilisk or the Hungarian Horntail, because Aragog was acting off the instinct that his children needed food, the basilisk was following orders, and the Horntail was following its instincts to protect her nest. Well, he's narcissistic enough that he would think that no one would bother him about the age difference and that Dorea would love to be his future wife, so I'm not disagreeing with your brother in that aspect. One quick question - does he like my story? And what's taking psychology like? I want to take psychology simply because it would make it easier to write about different disorders that the antagonists can have... Yes, there will be more secrets than just the basilisk, but because Voldemort can be so conceited and only wanted a weapon to kill muggleborns with, he didn't bother trying to find any other of the secrets that the Chamber contained. Yeah, I know, as much as I love the Weasley family, they should have tried harder to understand each other. I mean, I know that they have a huge family and all, but honestly, Fred and George could have easily gotten along with Percy if the three of them tried, what with them being some of the closest in age. And I've never understood why the Weasleys had such a massive family, it would just push too many responsibilities on the older children until they move away and are free from the stress that comes with their baby siblings.**

**griffindork93: *glomps* YOU'RE ALIVE! And I forgive you for the late review, so I'll respond to both reviews now! For chapter 26 - I totally understand that. I've been so busy on my laptop that I'm rarely, if ever, seen outside of my room. Well, it only makes sense in my mind, seeing as how Fred and George would never forget their broomsticks or any prank materials, it's just too out of character for them. It annoyed me that she never explained that either, so I'm making up how it was sealed for Dorea and Ron. Yes, unfortunately, the relationship has regressed a little. But it is back in full swing with Bill making Dorea kiss his injuries better from now on! Well, that plan won't work for this chapter, seeing as how I have planned for Harry to read... Onto the Chapter 27 review! Yes, yes Lockhart has been upgraded to a stalker. Well, I picture that she would receive them for small things, like failing a test or missing a class to hand out with Arthur. It's the only reason that I can think of as to why Molly is such a pushy mother when it comes to grades and how Fred and George want to live their lives. I'm planning on that eventually, and I already have it planned out as to why Molly accepts Michaela as her daughter-in-law. Well, he could, but Lockhart wouldn't understand what he was talking about. Please, she'll get her dues way before then. Did you think that Bill wouldn't eventually notice that Dorea constantly has bandages on the back of her right hand? I mean, for the first week he understands because he think that she just burned herself on a cauldron or something and doesn't want to go to the hospital wing, but into the second week of reading and the third book? That will be when Umbridge gets her full dues for using a Blood Quill on students as punishment. Yeah, well, you need to consider, the only boy that had a crush on her when she was a child was completely straightforward and honest about it, so she wouldn't be accustomed to the idea of walking on eggshells around your crush. My favourite part of that was Colin's reaction, slamming his head down on the table as his friends laugh at him. That was just too much fun to write! Nah, it'll still be Snape, but Dorea will get private lessons surrounding DADA from Dumbledore, so that the lessons he gives Harry in canon aren't just simply about theory and learning about Voldemort. I'm thinking about having Colin suggest it, but Dorea will shoot it down right off the bat.**

**bloomnskyrules: Why thank you! And I haven't totally figured that out yet... That may come in later... Molly may start to understand her children more as the books progress, but at the moment she is completely clueless about them. Nah, unfortunately she won't be a muggleborn, but how about her mother was a muggle that died giving birth to her? That sound good to you? No, Molly does not know the truth about Lockhart. She thinks that Lockhart panicked, attempted to cast a spell that backfired, slammed him against the wall and caused the cave-in, and then erased his memories. Ron didn't mention it because he didn't want to remind Ginny of the Chamber that summer. Her patronus is still a stag, but Bill's patronus was never mentioned in the books, now was it? *evil smirk***

**OokamiNoGin: *blushes* Why thank you. It's more difficult to edit it when Dorea in the books is talking to a guy, or when Lockhart is ranting on and clinging to Dorea. Well, I actually put in the book because of an idea that I have for this chapter... Heh heh heh... Lockhart it about to find out what it means by Dorea being a Gryffindor that has earned her claws. The fifth book is going to be not only the most awkward book to write out, but also the most awkward book for them all the read, mainly because it's about what would be happening if Lily Luna, Albus Arthur, and James Sirius hadn't sent back the books for everyone to read. Well, since all I'm doing is typing out the actual books and editing them to fit the changes and then adding in some interludes between readings and comments on what's happening in the books. It also helps that I type pretty fast and I don't have to look at the keyboard as I type. I'm trying to keep the chapter at least 8000 words long, though there have been the exceptions where I have horrible writer's block and just can't make the chapter or interlude any longer than it was. Don't worry, I have no intentions of abandoning this story, no matter what anyone says. :) Thanks for your review!**

**AWESOMEx1000: ... It's possible to put a computer down? I did not know that.**

**Fuyutaro son: I do plan on changing quite a few things in the later books, but the story will remain quite close to canon. The first major change is that Voldemort doesn't initially want to kill Dorea, he wants her to become his Dark Lady. There will be more changes along the way, such as in the third and fourth book I'm planning on some major changes, more along the lines of what classes Dorea takes but they will have an effect in the TriWizard Tournament, especially with the Third Task. There will quite a few changes to the seventh book, mainly concerning the parts that annoy me a little, but other than that I don't plan to go too far off of canon.**

**~O~O~O~**

"I'll read." Harry offered. Theo nodded and levitated the book over to the man from another dimension, not even blinking as he looked at the man's emerald eyes. They were the exact same shape and colour as Dorea's eyes, he noted. Harry flipped the book open to the next chapter and grimaced. "No one hex me for what I'm about to read, alright?" he asked kindly. The Trio's the the Gryffindor Quidditch team all had matching dark expressions, so this was _that_ chapter.

**~CHAPTER SEVEN - MUDBLOODS AND MURMURS~** he read with a look of distaste on his face. George turned to glare at the smirking Malfoy, remembering when he called Hermione that horrible word quite well. Snape visibly flinched at the derogatory term for muggleborns, seeing as how it was that word that ended his friendship with Lily to begin with.

_Actually_, said the traitorous part of his mind. _It was the crowd you were hanging around, it was the people that would eventually become Death Eaters that set her against you. It was thanks to your pitiful choice in friends that separated you two, it was the choices that you made._

**~Dorea spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever she saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor.~**

"He was one of our favourite targets for pranks, considering that he was a total narcissist at school. Doesn't sound like he's changed much, though." James said almost innocently. Lily couldn't hold back the giggles that came up at the memories of the pranks that the Marauders would pull on the blond ponce.

"I remember one time when the three of you," no one missed that Lily refused to accept Peter Pettigrew as a Marauder. McGonagall silently wondered why, seeing as how Sirius Black was the one to betray the Potters... But he was sitting next to James, acting as though nothing had ever happened that Halloween night... Maybe it _hadn't_ been him after all...?

**~Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, the sick boy who seemed to have memorized Dorea's schedule.~**

Colin once again slammed his head against the table in front of him as his friends laughed merrily at his expense. Would Dorea have that as her opinion of him forever?

**~Nothing seemed to give poor Colin~**

Colin slammed his head against the table even harder. Poor Colin?_ Poor _Colin?! Dennis couldn't help but snicker at his older brother, sucks for him that the girl that he was head over heels for thought that he was a poor, sick little boy.

**~a bigger thrill than to say "Al right, Dorea?" six or seven times a day and to hear "Hello, Colin," come back, however exasperated Dorea sounded when she said it.~**

Colin slammed his face against the table again, his face burning bright red. And she still hadn't been able to tell that he had had the biggest crush on her back then? Merlin, how dense was this girl?

**~Hedwig was still angry with Dorea about the disastrous car journey.~**

"An angry Hedwig is never a good thing." Dorea said knowingly, rubbing the faint scars on her ears where Hedwig had nipped her when she had been angry with her Mistress. Ron and Hermione both absentmindedly rubbed the scars on the backs of their fingers, thinking about when Hedwig had kept nipping them when they tried to sent Dorea short letters over the summer.

**~and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck.~**

"Once again, I am _so_ sorry about that, professor." Ron blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. Flitwick just waved it off easily.

"And I'll said it again, you never meant for me to get injured, therefore I don't care. Much worse has happened to me on the Dueling Circuit." he commented, scratching the spot where the boil had been.

**~So with one thing and another, Dorea was quite glad to reach the weekend. She, Ron, and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning. Dorea, however, was woken up several hours earlier from a rapping on her window. Lifting her head to look, she saw Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, floating outside on his broomstick. Dorea slowly got out of bed and walked over to the window, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she opened it to talk to the older boy.~**

Harry, Fred, and George all stared at Oliver in shock.

"I always wondered how you woke up the girls in the morning without being murdered." Harry muttered before turning back to the book. He knew that Oliver didn't scream up the stairs anymore, Angelina had told him that the one time that Oliver had done that, he was promptly been locked in a broom cupboard in the dungeons in his boxers for the rest of the day. It took a search party for the professors to finally find him, and even then he refused to say who had done it. It was then that he decided that girls in the morning could be the most deadly of foes.

**~"Whassamatter?" said Dorea groggily.~**

Dante couldn't help but snort.

"_Very_ eloquent, Dorea." he teased, earning a middle finger from the disgruntled ravenette. He chuckled as he saw Bill flick her nose and scold her for her language, only for Dorea to begin to nibble on his finger. Hermione just shook her head as Bill pried his fingers away from Dorea's teeth, a bored Dorea was an insane Dorea.

**~"Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"**

**Dorea squinted past Wood at the open window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that she was more awake, she couldn't understand how she could have slept through the racket the birds were making.**

**"Oliver, Dorea croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."~**

James stared at Wood with pride while Sirius and the other Gryffindors groaned.

"I always said that be best get up at dawn, and since I know that this has to be the best Quidditch team Gryffindor had since I was at school, of course you get up at dawn!" James reasoned. Lily sent her husband a nasty glare.

"If you ever wake me up at dawn, I'll kill you slowly and painfully." she promised. James gulped and nodded, Remus making a whip cracking noise in the background. Sirius couldn't hold in his laughter at the murderous look on Lily's face, the glare that she was sending Remus and James would make even the most evil of men quiver in fear.

**~"_Exactly_," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm.~**

Sirius shuddered. James had gotten that look in his eyes when he had been Captain of the Quidditch team, and he had been an absolute nightmare when it came to practices. In the end it paid off, seeing as how they won the Quidditch Cup every year that James was Captain, but he was absolutely nuts when it came down to practices.

Angelina started comically crying, wailing that they would have to deal with this version of Wood until their match against the Bulgarians, planned to be next week when they weren't reading, was held. When she said that, the Twins, Katie, and Alicia all joined in with her mournful wails. Dorea just sighed, goodbye any chance at getting a good night's sleep this week.

**~"It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet;~**

"For a good reason! We like our sleep, thank you very _much_!" the new Hufflepuff Captain, a sixth year boy that Dorea recognized as one of their Chasers, shouted out to Wood, who flushed in embarrassment. He wasn't all that bad... Was he?

**~we're going to be first off the mark this year -"~**

"Or we would have been. Stupid bribing Slytherins..." Wood grumbled, glaring at the spot that Flint usually sat at when he had been at the Slytherin table. _Stupid Flint, stupid Snape..._

**~Yawning, Dorea slammed the window shut, walked back to her bed, got under the still warm covers, and tried to go back to sleep.~**

Bill kissed Dorea's forehead and ruffled her hair.

"That's my girl." he whispered, tucking some of Dorea's bangs behind her ear. Dorea, blushing a pretty pink, just smiled up at Bill with a strange gleam in her eyes. Bill looked away. _Nah, it couldn't have been... Not love... She probably just had a crush on him..._

**~Wood kept tapping on the window. Groaning, Fay lifted her hair and glared at Dorea, throwing a spare pillow at the sleepy girl.**

**"Make him leave!" she groaned and rolled over. Sighing, Dorea left the warmth of her bed, went to her trunk, and pulled out her Quidditch robes and her broom. The tapping stopped. Dorea looked out the window to see Wood flying to the lower levels of the dorms, probably to wake up the other girls on the team.~**

At that mention, the three Chasers glared at Wood as one. Their dorm mates attempted to kick them out of the dorm because Wood kept waking them up, nearly making them sleep in the Gryffindor Girl Night Room.

**~When she pulled on her scarlet team robes and her cloak for warmth, Dorea scribbled a note to Hermione explaining where she'd gone and went down the spiral staircase to the common room, her Nimbus Two Thousand on her should. She had just reached the prortrait hole when there was a clatter behind her. Turning around, Dorea saw as Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase leading into the boy's dorms, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.~**

Colin, his face a fiery red, slammed his head once more against the table in front of him as everyone burst into laughter. Fred and George were having a field day at his expense.

"Aw, how cute! Doriekins -" Fred started fake sniffling a little.

"- Has her first stalker!" George finished, wiping away a fake tear. "They grow up so fast..."

**~"I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Dorea! Look at what I've got her! I've had it developed; I wanted to show you -"**

**Dorea looked bemusedly at the photograph Coli was brandishing under her nose.**

**A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm that Dorea recognized as her own. She was pleased to see that her photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view, even kicking Lockhart's shins once in a while.~**

Everyone laughed, only Dorea would be pleased that her photographic self hates photographic Lockharts as well.

**~As Dorea watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, panting, against the white edge of the picture. She tried not to make a face as the photograph looked up, saw her, and began to wink and blow kisses at her.~**

Bill growled fiercely and clutched Dorea to his chest, nuzzling his head into her had. Only one thing crossed through his mind, and that was that he was going to kill Lockhart for trying to steal what was his.

**~"Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly, rummaging through his pockets for a quill.**

**"No," said Dorea flatly,~**

"Now now, Bambi, be nice to your stalkers! You never know when you can get them to attack someone you don't like!" Sirius scolded. Suddenly Dorea looked from Sirius, to Snape, and then to Colin, who still had his head pressed against his desk. Get them to attack someone she doesn't like, huh...?

**~glancing around to check that the room was really deserted. "Sorry, Colin, I'm in a hurry - Quidditch practice -"**

**She climbed through the portrait hole.**

**"Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"~**

"Colin, she just said that it was _practice_, not a game. Practices can be really boring, especially the first one when the Captain decides to go over the different plays." Remus explained, having sat through that before when James had first been made Quidditch Captain. Then James had ever had the audacity to be angry with Remus for falling asleep during the lecture when half of his own team was off in snooze-land!

**~Colin scrambled through the hole after her.~**

Sirius' eye twitched, he wanted to say something that would turn that into something dirty but he didn't know how to go about it.

**~"It'll be really boring," Dorea said quickly,~**

"Oliver was lecturing us until breakfast time. Yeah, it was really boring." Dorea stood by her statement from the past, the Chasers and the Twins nodding in agreement. Oliver pouted and crossed his arms, huffing. He had put a lot of thought into those plays - sure, they hadn't been able to really use them until the next year when Quidditch hadn't been canceled, but honestly, they could have tried to stay awake!

**~but Colin ignored her, his face was shining with excitement.**

**"You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Dorea? Weren't you?" said Colin, trotting alongside her. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown on a broom before. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?"~**

"Merlin, it's like he's paparazzi!" Lily exclaimed, making all those who understood what she meant, mainly the muggleborns and raised knowing the reference to muggle paparazzi never stopping in their questions, chuckle and nod in agreement. Colin only bashed his skull harder against the table in front of him, hoping that if he hit his head hard enough he could give himself a concussion and be allowed to leave. So this was how Dorea felt when they read about her secrets...

**~Dorea didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.~**

Fred and George exchanged glances and wrote that down, thinking about producing some sort of item that would enchant someone's shadow to become extremely talkative just to annoy them. Once they had the basic tests down first to ensure that it wasn't harmful, they would give some away to everyone who promised to use one on Snape.

~**"I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"**

**"Yes," said Dorea heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch. ~**

"The rules for Quidditch are not complicated!" James shouted. Dorea and Lily both sent him dark glares.

"For muggleborns they are." they both said with the same tone filled with iciness and venom. Sirius began snickering as James paled and began to backtrack, like mother like daughter. Knowing Dorea, she would have Bill around her little finger soon.

**~"They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters, on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side and teammates. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."~**

"Best beaters we could ever ask for." Oliver said proudly as the Weasley Twins stood and took a bow.

**~And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Dorea.~**

Colin slammed his forehead against the table again as one of his friends fell other his chair from laughing so hard. His crush on her had been so obvious, too!

**~"Well, the Quaffle - that's the biggish red one - is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch - they're the three long poles with hoops on the end."~**

"You're doing an excellent job of explaining this to him, Dorea." Oliver said with pride in his voice, smiling at the very attractive 15 year old girl in Bill Weasley's lap. Dorea beamed at Oliver in thanks while Bill glared at the 19 year old icily, as though determining whether he could trust Oliver Wood with Dorea or not. Oliver found it quite unnerving, it was as thought Bill Weasley had already determined that Dorea was his and he wasn't planning on letting her go to anyone else.

**~"And the fourth ball -"**

**"- Is the Golden Snitch," said Dorea. "And it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his or her team an extra hundred and fifty points, but it's not a guarantee that their team will win because of that."~**

The Bulgarians nodded solemnly, remembering their loss at the World Cup. Those damn Irish Seekers were just too in synch to be able to stop their plays...

**~"And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe.**

**"Yes," said Dorea as they left the castle and started across the dew drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts to prevent the other team from getting any points. That's it, really."**

**But Colin didn't stop questioning Dorea all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Dorea only shook him off when she reached the changing rooms; Colin called after her i a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Dorea!" and hurried off to the stands.~**

"_Vhat_ good seat? It's practice, most of it vill be planning plays." Levski said in his heavily accented voice,

**~The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room.**

**Wood was the only person who looked truly awake.~**

The Chasers all nodded.

"Sounds about right," Angelina muttered. "Only Wood could wake us up at 5 in the bloody morning and be wide awake and ready to practice."

**~Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.~**

Sirius and Dorea both nodded, that sounded like the Gryffindor Quidditch Team when woken up at the crack of dawn in order to go over plays.

**~"There you are, Dorea, what kept you?" said Wood briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field,~**

Those that had been present for that lecture snorted, that talk had taken a good 3 hours to go over.

**~because I spent the summer devising a while new training program,~**

"Bloody hell, and I thought James was a nutter when he was captain!" Sirius exclaimed, staring at Wood in shock. "Do you eat, sleep, and breathe Quidditch?" he asked, making Wood's face burn bright red. Fred and George snickered as he began stammering.

"Well, we wouldn't want Ollie-Pop any other way!" they sang out simultaneously. Wood's eye twitched as he glared at the Twins.

"Would you stop calling me that?" he asked. Gred and Forge shook their heads.

"Not until we get the memory of your girlfriend licking your lollipop out of our brains." George said as Wood's face burned even brighter and everyone who understood what he meant was doubled over in laughter. Molly's face turned red as she began shrieking at the Twins for their language and for being so vulgar, while Michaela just grinned lecherously at Wood and nudged Charlie's side, whispering something in his ear that caused him to fall into hysterical laughter. Dorea sighed as she stopped laughing and leaned her head into the crook of Bill's neck smiling as she felt him stiffen a little behind her. _Well well, looks like Bill liked her as well..._

It took a while, but finally Harry was able to continue reading.

**~which I really think will make all the difference..." Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different coloured inks. Dorea held back a groan, this was going to take a while.~**

"You can say that again." the Gryffindor Quidditch Team grumbled, mock glaring at a sheepish Oliver.

**~He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle oer the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and her began to snore.~**

Fred grinned sheepishly at Alicia, who was chuckling at the memory. She has had the biggest crush on Fred for the longest time, she really hadn't minded him using her shoulder as a pillow.

**~The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third board under that one. Dorea sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on, resting her head on Katie Bell's shoulder.**

**"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Dorea from a wistful fantasy about what she could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle.~**

"Maybe you should have given them breakfast first, they might have been more responsive that way." Bill advised. Wood nodded and made a mental check to do that if he became Captain of Puddlemore United one day.

**~"Is that clear? Any questions?"**

**"I've got a question, Oliver," said Goerge, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday, you know, when we were all awake?"~**

"Excellent question, right there." Lily said, pointing to George, who was cuddling up to Hermione. "It would be so much easier for them to pay attention if you hadn't woken them up at dawn." McGonagall could only chuckle.

"Gryffindor always gets the obsessed Quidditch Captains that forget that the rest of the team isn't as dedicated as they are." she said, looking from James to Wood. Those two were the best examples for that description.

**~Wood wasn't pleased.~**

"Of course he wasn't." Bill grumbled, running his hand through Dorea's hair and flushing as he felt her lean into his touch. She was so much like a cat it wasn't even funny, he was half expecting her to start purring.

**~"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team.~**

Gryffindor cheered for their team while the other Houses grumbled. They had Dorea Potter, Little Miss I-Can-Do-No-Wrong! They were so synchronized it wasn't even funny! No duh they were the best team out of the four!

**~But unfortunately - owing to circumstances that were out of our control -"**

**Dorea shifted guiltily in her seat.~**

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team members all sent Dorea glares.

"You were in a magically induced coma, and had nearly been killed by our DADA professor. There is no way in the seven circles of Hell that we would ever blame you for that loss. We blame Moldyshorts." Fred said decisively. Dorea sent him an odd look.

"_Moldyshorts_?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Well, since people are scared of V-Voldemort's," Dorea smiled as Fred suppressed his shudder. "Name, why not make fun of it? I mean, less people will be scared of it that way." Molly looked at the Twins appreciatively; maybe there was a method to their madness after all.

**~She had been unconscious in the Hospital Wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that Gryffindor had been a player short and had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.~**

All the Quidditch fans flinched violently. That wasn't good, no matter how you look at it. Dorea had nearly been murdered and Gryffindor lost by a landslide.

**~Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him.~**

Dorea flinched, thinking about the match in her third year with the Dementors. That defeat still haunted her, she always wondered what would have happened if those Dementors hadn't come... Would Amos Diggory have been as big-headed as he had been when he first met her, as well as when he saw her before the Third Task?

**~So this year, we train harder than ever before... Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms.~**

George looked at the Chasers and at Dorea.

"You girls remember anything from that lecture?" he asked. All four girls shook their head no, much to Oliver's disappointment.

**~Stiff legged and still yawning, his team followed. They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was completely up now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Dorea walked onto the fields, she saw Ron and Hermione sitting in the stands.**

**"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously.**

**"Haven't even started," said Dorea, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade that Ron and Hermione had brought out of the Great Hall. Didn't they know that she hadn't gotten breakfast?~**

Ron and Hermione both winced at Dorea's perceptiveness, they had completely forgotten that.

"Sorry..." they rang out. Dorea waved it off.

"As long as you two feel bad for eating in front of 7 very hungry and sleepy Quidditch players, all is good." she teased, noticing the glares that Fred and George were sending their brother. She also noticed that George didn't seem to want to glare at Hermione. _Hmmm... Could he have a crush on her...?_

**~"Wood's been teaching us new moves." She mounted her broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped her face, waking her far more effectively than Wood's long talk had.~**

Sirius sighed.

"Always happens when you have a fanatic as captain. They want to go over the plays, meaning they wake you up at damnable hours in the morning, and then bore you to death with their lectures before they let you fly. You're dad was the same way when he was captain." he explained, glaring at James. "I swear, Jamsie, I still have bags under my eyes from when you woke me up at 4 in the morning to go over some plans with me before you presented them to the rest of the team." James shrugged and smirked.

"If you hadn't gotten to bed at midnight the night before because you had been busy shagging some nameless girl in a closet somewhere in the castle then you wouldn't have been nearly as tired." he retorted, much to McGonagall's shock. _Dorea hadn't just been kidding when she said that couples... Ahem, did **suggestive** things in the broom closets?_

**~It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. She soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.~**

"And slaughtered us." Fred pouted playfully.

**~"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner.**

**Dorea looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.~**

"Those would be really cool shots to take, actually..." Cat muttered contemplatively. It would be incredible to see the pictures that Colin had taken that morning.

**~"Look this way, Dorea! This way!" he cried shrilly.~**

Once again, Colin slammed his bright red face against the table in front of him as his friends, having finally recovered from their last laughing fit, fell once again into near painful laughter at how Colin had acted around Dorea Potter in his first year. The mousey-haired boy had had the biggest crush on Dorea back then, and now it was only worse. He would trip over air if she was in the same room as him.

**~"Who's that?" said Fred.**

**"No idea," Dorea lied, knowing how the Twins would react when they found out why Colin was here so early, and put on a spurt of speed that took her as far away as possible from Colin.~**

"Now now, Bambi, be polite." Remus scolded. Dorea huffed and mock glared at the pack leader.

"Please, you and I both know you would have done the exact same thing." she scolded right back. Remus paused and shrugged, she was right and he knew it.

**~"What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."**

**"He's in Gryffindor," said Dorea quickly. "I've seen him in the Common Room."**

**"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George.~**

"They came, didn't they?" James groaned.

**~"What makes you say that?" said Wood testily.**

**"Because they\re here in person." said George, pointing.~**

James facepalmed as Sirius began groaning about cheating Slytherins and how they should have schedules as to who can use the Quidditch field to train and what times.

**~Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.**

**"I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!"~**

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and looked at Snape, who looked equally as confused as half the other professors. So he didn't know what was going on, either?

**~Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Dorea, Fred, and George followed.**

**"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up especially!~**

"More like you woke us up and then bored us back to sleep!" the Chasers all shouted, making the other Hogwarts Quidditch teams blink. Well, if the Chasers were so in tune, then add in the Weasley Twins acting the way they do, how Dorea notices everything and is determined to help her teammates as best as she can, and then how Wood dictates their plays, it was no wonder that this was the best Quidditch team that Gryffindor had in ages.

**~You can clear off now!"~**

"You tell that slimy basta-" Sirius was cut off by Lily whacking him over the head with a book that she had brought.

"Language, Sirius! There are children in the Hall!" she scolded, huffing as she sat back down. Dorea looked up at Bill.

"So _that's_ why I hit Ron over the head with books. I get it from mum." she said simply, making Lily and James laugh while Sirius and Ron both rubbed their heads, feeling the phantom bumps that remained from when they had gotten especially harsh beatings with those books. For Ron, it had been after Sirius escaped and how he had milked Scabbers', really Pettigrew's, disappearance just to make Hermione miserable. For Sirius, it had been after the Whomping Willow incident in sixth year.

**~Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning~**

"Wait, can trolls even be cunning?" Hermione asked, looking around. It was Michaela that shook her head.

"Nope, they can't be. Trolls are instinct creatures only, so he must have looked stupid yet cunning at the same time." she informed. Those that had seen Flint that day nodded, that certainly described how he had appeared to them.

**~on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."~**

"You know, sometimes it would be nice to have practice Quidditch games with other teams instead of just doing drills all the time. You know, like games for fun so that we can all practice how to work together on the field." Angelina suggested, looking at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Captains. The two other Captains looked considerate, thinking that it might be a good idea, especially for matches that are with Slytherin. Practicing with the Gryffindors, who knew the Slytherin tactics almost as well as the Slytherins themselves, would be a great help for facing the cheating team.

**~Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.**

**"But I books the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"**

**"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.~**

The goblet in Snape's hand shattered as the Head of House glared at the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"I signed no such letter. Professor influence means _nothing_ if the field is booked. I will be speaking to you all about this later." he growled, glaring at his godson with pure rage. The boy, as much as he hated to admit it, was even worse than James Potter had been at his age.

~_**I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker**_**."'~**

"That is complete rubbish, when I was put on the team the year prior I didn't ask for special training time. Wood booked it fairly." Dorea spat, glaring directly at Malfoy. "And I certainly didn't buy my way onto the team, either." This earned sharp looks from the Bulgarians, buying your way onto a professional Quidditch team was an easy way to get yourself killed by an angry Beater that knows that they're doing. It had happened before in a professional match.

**~And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.**

**"Aren't you Lecius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.**

**"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."~**

"Merlin, he didn't." Sirius whispered. Dorea nodded gravely.

"He did." she responded. Sirius sighed, a grim smile on his face.

"Well, if he used the Black Family Fortune to buy that then you can easily get him for it. His marriage contract stated that he wasn't allowed any more money in the Black Family Fortune than Narcissa's dowry, meaning that if he used Black money then he stole it." he explained. Dorea nodded and sighed. Sirius was Lord Black, but knowing him, he would push half the duties that came with that title onto herself because she was his Heiress, being his goddaughter.

**~All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine fold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.~**

"De Nimbus Two Dousand and Vun was not ffery different from de Nimbus Two Dousand. In fact, de only difference vas dat de Two Dousand and Vun vas able to go dree kilometers faster dan de Two Dousand. Nimbus vas in a hurry because Cleansweep vas releasing de Firebolt de next year and dey vanted more profit before de Firebolt came out." said Zograf, the Bulgarian Keeper, is his extremely heavy accent. Malfoy looked a little depressed at the dressing down of his broom, not to mention that Princess Potter had the Firebolt..._ It just wasn't fair_, he thought as he watched Dorea and Bill Weasley snuggle up because Peeves was blowing cold air on their necks._ That Princess Potter didn't even notice him, no matter how hard he tried to make it clear to her that he was in love with her._

**~"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount.~**

"Three kilometers is not a very considerable amount, though it could be the difference between vinning or losing a game." Viktor commented, rolling his eyes at the Slytherins. The only ones that he had found that he could be around and not want to murder them with his own two hands were in the Circle this very moment.

**~As for the old Cleansweeps" - he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives - "Sweeps the board with them"~**

Charlie couldn't help but snort.

"Did he intend that pun, and if he did, how long did it take for him to think of it?" he grinned, rubbing his nose as he looked at the Slytherin boys in the Circle. The two shrugged, telling Charlie all he needed to know. A while.

**~None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment.**

**Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.~**

"Ugh, that was a horrible sight. He looked like a fox." Katie shuddered, making Angelina pat her head for comfort.

"There there, Katie-kins, you never have to see it again." she said soothingly. Katie nodded and rested her head on Angelina's shoulder, gripping the older girl's hand. Dorea could only smile at the sight, the two had been together for a few months now. Everyone one the Quidditch team had known that Angelina was bisexual, but the news that Katie played for the home team had been a surprise. Dorea was only happy that the two of them found each other to be what they wanted in a lifelong relationship.

**~"Oh look," said Flint mockingly. "A field invasion."**

**Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.**

**"What's happening?" Ron asked Dorea in confusion. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. "When did he get on their team?"~**

Everyone froze and thought.

"That last question is a good one, seeing as how it had only been the first week of school..." Susan muttered thoughtfully. "Knowing Malfoy, he probably wrote a letter to Flint explaining that he would have his father buy the team brooms if he was allowed to play as Seeker just to show Dorea up."

Malfoy hid his anger at the suspicion. That reason was entirely wrong! He hadn't wanted to show Dorea up, he wanted to impress her! Merlin dammit, they were all wrong about him!

**~"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Mmalfoy smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms that my father's bought for our team."**

**Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.**

**"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gyrffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."**

**The Slytherin team howled with laughter.~**

"I'm sorry, but Cleansweep Fives were designed specifically with the necessities of the Beater in mind. The Fives are sturdy, they move fast, they have excellent brake control, and last a long time." Wood corrected, smiling at the Twins. "The Nimbus is an excellent Broom company of Seekers and playing Quidditch for fun, but they don't suit any other positions nearly as well as they should." The Slytherins on the Quidditch team all began to sulk, they had realized that after their first match with Gryffindor.

**~"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."~**

Wood stood up, walked over to Hermione, and gave her the longest hug that he had ever given anyone. He didn't miss George's evil glare as he sat back down, and began to wonder what prank he would be on the receiving end of for touching the girl that George was clearly in love with.

Fred smirked at the sight. So Wood had done that on purpose to make George see how much he liked Hermione. Well played, Wood, well played.

**~The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.~**

Harry looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"Merlin forgive me for saying this, but it's in the book and I have to read it." he stated, looking directly at his other-dimension mother. Lily nodded slowly, a little confused as to what he meant by that. Her eyes widened - no, he didn't call her _that_...

**~"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.~**

Harry began spitting on the floor, a look of disgust on his face for even uttering that word. He then remembered that he would have to repeat it multiple times this chapter and sunk in his seat, feeling as though he should shove a bar of soap in his mouth after this chapter.

Malfoy, on the other hand, was on the receiving end of glares from almost every student in the Hall, as well as the professors and guests. He slowly sunk in his seat as Snape sent him a look that promised he was in for it later. Slytherins never punished each other in public, it was something they stood by. Appearances first, punishments later.

**~Dorea knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad,~**

"That's the understatement of the century." Lily growled, glaring at Snape. Snivellus had become bad once he started hanging around Death Eaters, before that he had been a completely pleasant person.

**~because there was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George from jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!"; Angelina was holding Katie back from attacking the Slytherin boy, Wood was holding Dorea's shoulder as though it was the only thing that kept him from joining the Twins, and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.~**

"Your wand is _broken_, Ron. The curse may backfire." Sirius advised. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Three years too late there, Sirius." he said shortly.

**~A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of dark green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backwards onto the grass.~**

James flinched.

"Belching Slug Curse?" he asked. Ron nodded slowly, making everyone who had been on the receiving end of that curse wince in sympathy. It was a nasty curse, one that usually made the victim sick after it wore off.

**~"Ron! Ron, are you all right?" squealed Hermione.**

**Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth and onto his lap.~**

Those who either hadn't seen or known of that particular curse appeared as though they were about to be sick. That was not the most pleasant of things to experience...

**~The Slytherin team were paralysed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.~**

"It's not funny, would you have been laughing if it had been you instead?" Madam Pomfrey snarled, glaring icily at the Malfoy Heir.

**~The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him just yet.~**

"That curse is a difficult one to normally cast, and it backfired out of your wand. We didn't know what it could have done." Alicia defended their actions. Ron nodded in understanding, he probably would have been the same way.

**~"We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's closest," said Dorea to Hermione, who nodded bravely, and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms.~**

Madam Pomfrey nodded.

"Hagrid certainly knows what to do when it comes to curses, especially ones that involve animals. Unfortunately, you can only wait until that particular curse wears off, I'm afraid." she explained.

**~"What happened, Dorea? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?"**

**Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front.**

**"_Ooooh_," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Dorea?"~**

Colin's face burned a dark red.

"I thought Malfoy had cursed him, I hadn't realized it had backfired..." he muttered in his defense One of his friends rolled their eyes and tousled his hair, much to Colin's annoyance.

**~"Get out of the way, Colin!" said Dorea angrily. She and Hermione supported Ron out if the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest.**

**"Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute - almost there -"**

**They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out.~**

"Sweet Merlin, you were right! He was everywhere!" Remus said in disgust.

**~"Quick, behind here," Dorea hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly.~**

Hermione threw another book at Dorea, only this time it hit her nose. Dorea grabbed it, gritting her teeth in pain as Hermione stared at her in shock.

"I thought you were going to dodge it!" she whispered. Dorea glared up at her friend with watery eyes.

"So did I, but _someone_ distracted me!" she growled, glaring at Harry and the book. Bill slowly peeled Dorea's hands away from her nose and kissed the injured cartilage, smiling as Dorea's tears faded and a blush came across her cheeks instead.

"There, all better." he whispered, giving Dorea an Eskimo kiss. Dorea smiled, her blush deepening as she realized that the pain had actually passed with Bill kissing her nose.

Harry, wanting to avoid Dorea getting angry at him(Merlin knows that her temper must be worse than his), quickly continued reading.

**~"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!"~**

"It's _Hagrid_, when it comes to these grounds no one knows how to take care of them better than he does." McGonagall snarled. The friendly half-giant had been gameskeeper when she had been attending Hogwarts as well.

**~Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one - I'll sign one tonight and send it over.~**

"I used it as a firestarter." Hagrid grumbled, making those that heard him burst out laughing at the man.

**~Well, good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.**

**Dorea waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently.**

**Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was.**

**"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me - come in, come in - thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again -"~**

"Don't I know that feeling." Dorea groaned, resting her head on Bill's chest, smirking when she listened to his erratic heartbeat. He so liked her back, all she had to do now was just tell him how she felt... The thought of doing that made all of Dorea's courage vanish into thin air. She was never good with boys, why couldn't she be good with boys?

**~Dorea and Hermione supported Ron over the threshold into the one roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire cracking merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem,~**

"He's seen the curse before, that's why." Lily explained, glancing at Remus. Snivellus had his him with that curse around the full moon during their seventh year. Hagrid had been the one to take Remus to the Hospital Wing that day while Sirius and James took revenge for their friend.

**~which Dorea hastily explained as she lowered Ron into a chair.**

**"Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."~**

Madam Pomfrey nodded, that truly was all that Hagrid could do for that curse.

**~"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand -"~**

James and Remus both nodded in agreement.

**~Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. His boarhound, Fang, was slobbering happily all over Dorea, who was smiling and petting Fang equally as happily.~**

Lavender crinkled her nose, this was why she didn't like Dorea, she had no sense of what it really meant to be a girl. Any normal girl wouldn't like be slobbered all over by some disgusting dog, but Dorea apparently loved it. She really should have been born a boy.

**~"What did Lockhart want with you, Hagird?" Dorea asked, scratching Fang's ears happily.**

**"Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid, moving a half-pluckered rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot. "Like I don' know how. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."~**

"Well, good news, Hagrid! You won't be eating your kettle any time soon!" Dorea said happily, making those that knew the truth about Lockhart smirk. Even if he had lost his memory, he still had the money he had made from those books. This just simply meant that if he recovered his memory, which the Healers at Saint Mungos said he would, they would simply be able to arrest him then while the money was already refunded to those that bought his books.

**~It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher, and Dorea looked at him in surprise.~**

"Doesn't that just tell how bad he really was? We would've done better with a flobberworm as our DADA professor that year, we learned absolutely nothing." Su Li grumbled, all the Ravenclaws nodding in agreement with her. Lockhart had truly been a nightmare.

**~Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought that he was the best man for the job -"**

**"He was the _on_' man for the job,"~**

Dumbledore nodded gravely. The only reason that Lupin had been willing to teach was if he was able to teach both Dorea and Neville, no negotiations.

**~said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squalchy in to his basin. "An' I mean the _on' one_. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter thinkit's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now.~**

"It is jinxed, though I don't know how to reverse it." Dumbledore said gravely. It would be nice to have a professor that stayed on the position for more than one year.

**~So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"**

**"Malfoy called Hermione something - it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."**

**"It was bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the tabletop looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her '_Mudblood_,' Hagrid -" Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made their appearance.**

**Hagrid looked outraged.~**

"He very well should." everyone that knew what that word meant grumbled, glaring at the Death Eater's son coldly. Malfoy began to break into a cold sweat, it things didn't turn up for him he could possibly find himself in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the readings - he should probably try to win over Dorea soon...

**~"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.**

**"He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course -"~**

"That's the biggest understatement of the century." George growled, holding Hermione close to him. The brunette flushed as she realized that she liked George holding her close the way he was.

**~"It's about the most insulting thing he can think of," gasped Ron, coming back up. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-orn - you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards - like Malfoy's family - who think that they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."~**

"Yeah, but every magical family has to start out from muggleborns." Dan pointed out. "And muggleborns are usually the descendants of Squibs that were cast into the muggle world hundreds of years ago - not closely related enough to count as a Halfblood, but there is still the magical genetics in there." Malfoy looked extremely disturbed by this information. "Besides, muggleborns and Squibs balance each other out, just like for how each weak witch or wizard there is an extremely powerful witch or wizard."

**~He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin and continued. "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville - he's pure-blooded and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."~**

Neville shrugged.

"I think that accounts to the Potions professor being a bullying git more than my abilities in Potions." he corrected, shrugging. Dumbledore glared at Snape, Neville should have had no ground to say that, but after reading how Snape handled Neville's explosion in the first book he knew better than that. Snape was what he hated the most, a bully.

**~"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione turn a brilliant shade of magenta.~**

"Magenta looks so pretty on you..." Luna sighed, her eyes glazed over as she witnessed a vision of Sierra and Neville's wedding, where the bridesmaids wore magenta dresses. In her vision, Michaela was clearly around her third trimester in her pregnancy and Dorea had a baby bump of her own, both the maid of honour and a bridesmaid respectively.

**~"It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping his sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway, like Dorea. If we hadn't married muggles we'd've died out."~**

"Didn't have to be muggles, though, Ron." Bill corrected. Ron shrugged.

"I didn't want to push too much information on them, seeing as they had just learned the different blood statuses." he insisted. Bill nodded once, that was the only answer that would make sense in that case, seeing as how Ron knew how wizards and witches would marry magical creatures such as High Elves, Veela, and Sirens.

**~He retched and ducked out of sight again.**

**"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good think yer wand backfired. 'Spect Llucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."~**

"Ah, but the Board of Governors has no say in how students are punished, and seeing as how young Ronald was defending his friend from verbal abuse, I would only take away some House Points for cursing Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore explained. Madam Bones nodded, Dumbledore sure knew how to word that to make it sound more acceptable if the Governors had come complaining because of Lucius Malfoy. Abuse in the magical world, whether it be emotional, physical, or verbal, was not tolerated if intentional. That was why she and most of the other adults were so ashamed that the professors hadn't noticed that Dorea, Neville, and Hermione were being emotionally abused by the students of this school, why she was so angry that Snape had gotten away with bullying his students. Bullying is abuse, no matter how anyone tries to word it.

**~Dorea would have pointed out that trouble didn't come much wose than having slugs pouring out of your mouth, but she couldn't. The massive amount of Hagrid's treacle fudge that she had been eating had cemented her jaw together.~**

"But it tastes _so good_!" Dorea moaned, licking her lips as she remembered the taste. Bill stared at Dorea, his blush rising to a bright crimson as he watched her tongue wet her smooth pink lips... _Merlin, William, self control! You cannot just snog her in front of everyone!_

**~"Dorea," said Hagrid abruptly as though stuck with a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' ut signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"~**

Lily groaned and facepalmed.

"Don't start teasing her over that now!" she muttered, feeling a headache coming on.

**~Furious, Dorea painfully wrenched her teeth apart.**

**"I have not been giving out signed photos," she said hotly, her mind on the book she had gotten for her birthday. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around -"**

**But then she saw that Hagrid was laughing.~**

"That wasn't funny." Dorea pouted, making Bill's heart pound faster and faster as he snuggled up closer to Dorea. She was just so cute it was hard to resist!

**~"I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Dorea genially on the back and sending her face first into the table. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I dold Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."~**

Bill's eyes darkened.

"He knows that, and he wants her for that fame." he snarled, clutching Dorea closer to his chest. "If he does so much as touches my Dorea, I'll slaughter him." he said, making Dorea's eyes widen as her blush increased to almost maroon in colour. _**H-H-H-His** Dorea?!_

**~"Bet he didn't like that," said Dorea, sitting up and rubbing her sore chin.**

**"Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling.~**

Michaela mock-gasped.

"I didn't know the twinkle was contagious!" she teased, looking up at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling more than ever as his smile grew into an amused grin.

**~"An' then I told him I'd never read on o' his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron reappeared.**

**"No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it."~**

Madam Pomfrey nodded in approval, it would be better for him to not eat anything until the curse subsided.

**~"Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as Dorea and Hermione finished the last of their tea.**

**In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins that Dorea had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder.~**

Someone whistled appreciatively, assumedly someone good in Herbology.

**~"Gettin' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast... Should be big enough by then."**

**"What've you been feeding them?" said Dorea.**

**Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.**

**"Well, I've bin givin' them - you know - a bit o' help -"~**

Umbridge looked as though she was about to say something when Madam Bones Silenced her.

"For the love of all that is good, just keep that trap of yours shut! You heard what Dumbledore said earlier, and I know you did! He never committed the crime that he was expelled for!" she snapped, turning back to the book and waving her hand at a shocked Harry to continue reading.

~**Dorea noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin. Dorea had had reason to believe before now that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, she had the strong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it. Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, but Dorea had never found out why – any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject was changed.~**

The Marauders nodded in agreement.

"He won't even tell anyone when he's drunk, and he tells everyone everything when he's drunk." Sirius confirmed, nodding at his own statement. Seeing the smug looks on the Trio's faces, he sighed. "When do you three find out?" he asked. They all just smiled pleasantly.

"This book." they said innocently, making Hagrid pale. _No, they didn't... But they knew that he had been framed..._ Hagrid smiled at his three friends. _They really were kind, weren't they..._

~**"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" said Hermione, halfway between disapproval and amusement. "Well, you've done a good job on them."**

**"That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron. "Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Dorea, his beard twitching. "Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." He winked at Dorea. "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no ter a signed -"~**

Ginny held her head in her hands, just wishing that something would appear and swallow her whole. That hadn't been why she really had been there and she knew it...

**~"Oh, shut up," said Dorea.**

**Ron snorted with laughter and the ground was sprayed with slugs.**

**"Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his precious pumpkins.**

**It was nearly lunchtime and as Dorea had only had several bits of treacle fudge since dawn,~**

Madam Pomfrey frowned at the thought.

~s**he was keen to go back to school to eat. They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs. They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter - Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening." Dorea felt her heart sink. Tonight?**

**"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.~**

"Thank you for that." McGonagall said. It really would've just gotten her angry if she had slugs belched all over her robes.

**~"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley - elbow grease."**

**Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school.~**

"Well he hates us in return!" Daphne shouted, making everyone stare at the Slytherin Ice Queen in shock. She had never acted like this before, ever.

**~"And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fanmail," said Professor McGonagall.~**

"Wait, so you're sending my daughter, _alone_, to serve _detention_ with that _pedophile_? At _night_?!" James asked slowly, his mind going straight to the gutter he knew that Lockhart's must have been in.

**~"Oh no - Professor, cant I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Dorea desperately.~**

"That should have been a clue, if she didn't want to spend time with that man!" Lily frowned, unable to believe that McGonagall was so clueless about this.

**~"And Professor, tonight's -" Hermione sent Dorea a warning glare. They weren't supposed to let boys know about Gryffindor Girl Nights.~**

Suddenly, all the girls in Gryffindor from second year up groaned. Of course that had to be mentioned!

**~Gryffindor Girl Nights were once every two weeks, on the Saturday. It was a night when the girls from seventh to second year would get together and do different things - games, makeovers, gossip, it was essentially a way for the girls to bond and understand what was going on, what was right, what was wrong, and to just let go for one night and be themselves.~**

Everyone that hadn't been in Gryffindor blinked. That... That actually sounded like a lot of fun, and it was a really good plan, too.

**~"Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly.~**

"And that didn't ring any warning bells?" Flitwick muttered incredulously. If it had been one of his Ravens that had been in Dorea's shoes, he would have talked to the girl about why she didn't want to attend detention with the man. How could McGonagall have been so blind, and she prized herself on being there for her Lions.

**~Eight o'clock sharp, both of you."~**

"Thanks for all the help that year, _Minnie_." Dorea muttered under her breath, McGonagall had been a horrible Head of House ever since she had been attending Hogwarts. She had only gotten better once Dorea got older and needed McGonagall less and less. It really wasn't fair at all.

~**Dorea and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-break-school rules sort of expression. Dorea didn't enjoy kher shepherd's pie as much as she'd thought. Both she and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.~**

Ron mock-glared at Dorea.

"You never told me that he was sexually harassing you," Dorea flinched at the term. She really didn't like that term in the slightest... "You definitely got the worst deal."

~**"Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."~**

"It's easy and relaxing." Dorea said. Fay and Hermione both sighed, whenever Dorea was close to a panic attack she would clean like crazy. They never thought that they would ever have seen the girls' dorms so clean in their lives...

**~"I'd swap anytime" said Dorea hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fanmail... He'll be a nightmare and a half..."~**

"He was." Dorea sighed, only for Bill to kiss a sensitive spot on her neck. Dorea felt the bones in her legs vanish as they turned to jelly. She suppressed a moan as Bill placed one more kiss on that spot,_ Merlin that felt good..._

**~Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to either, and Dorea was dragging her feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. She gritted her teeth and knocked. The door flew open at once, making Dorea wonder if Lockhart had been waiting on the other side of the door for her. Lockhart beamed down at her.**

**"Ah, here's the little lady!" he said. "Come in, Dorea, come in..."**

**Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them, much to Dorea's disgust.~**

Something that many people in the Hall seemed to agree with.

**~Another large pile lay on his desk.**

**"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Dorea, as though this was a huge treat. "This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her - huge fan of mine -"**

**The minutes snailed by. Dorea let Lockhart's voice wash over her, occasionally saying, "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Dorea," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."~**

"What does that even mean?" Madam Bones asked incredulously. Dorea shrugged.

"I'd be damned if I know." she responded, not looking anyone in the eyes. Her threat should be coming up soon...

**~Dorea had only been there for ten minutes when Lockhart sighed, putting a hand on Dorea's thigh.**

**"Dorea, Dorea, Dorea," he muttered, staring only at Dorea's scar. "You don't have to hide it any longer." Dorea just looked at Lockhart in confusion.**

**"Uh, Professor? Hide _what_, exactly?" she asked, slowly trying to inch away from him. Lockhart chuckled and began to trace circles on Dorea's outer-thigh, turning her confusion into nervousness.**

**"That you have the biggest crush on me, of course." he said, smiling at Dorea's scar. "Really, you didn't have to drive a car to school to catch my attention. Just wait a few more years, Dorea, then we may be able to start a relationship." He winked happily at Dorea, not taking his hand off her thigh at all.~**

Bill was clearly growling, clutching Dorea to him and glaring at the book.

"I'll _kill_ him." he growled, running his hand through Dorea's hair. "No touches _my_ sweety like that and gets away with it."

Dorea smiled, blushing at the fact that Bill called her his sweety. _Just a kiss would do_, a part of her mind taunted. _Just turn around and kiss him on the lips!_

**~Dorea sighed and decided to pretend to be as innocent as possible with this. It was time to let her Slytherin side out to play.~**

All the Slytherins leaned forward, wondering how Dorea handled this.

**~"You know, Professor Dumbledore got me the most interesting book for my birthday," she said, trying not to smirk as she felt Lockhart freeze at those words.**

**"H-He did, did he?" Lockhart asked, trying to remain calm. Dorea nodded, smiling a little.**

**"He did. It's full of castration curses, impotency hexes, sterilization jinxes, all irreversible, and all of which I will use on you if you don't get your hand off of me this instant." Dorea growled. She wasn't surprised to find that Lockhart's hand shot off her leg as though she had burned him, as well as that Lockhart was staring at her in shock. She stood up and brought her chair around to the other side of Lockhart's desk rather than sitting next to him. "Touch me again, and I'll be explaining to Dumbledore why I was forced to use those spells on you. I wonder how the Daily Prophet would react to finding out that you're a pedophile that's trying to get innocent little me in your bed." Here, Dorea fake sniffled. She found that she loved this side of her, seeing Lockhart shaking in his seat like a leaf was definitely worth it. Sitting back down, Dorea continued to work on what Lockhart had assigned her, without him attempting to touch her again.~**

The Slytherins sat back, impressed. First, subtly suggest that Dumbledore cares for her more than her other students. Then, threaten his manhood if he didn't stop touching her. Then, subtly threaten that if he touches her like that again, she will use those spells on him, and then let the press discover what happened to him and why, thereby getting him arrested and discredited. Very Slytherin, indeed.

**~The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching her warily now. Dorea moved her aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. It must be nearly time to leave, Dorea thought miserably, please let it nearly be time...**

**And then she heard something - something quite apart from the spitting of dying candles and Lockhart's nervous prattle about his fans...~**

Everyone looked at each other curiously. What had she heard?

**~It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.~**

Dorea shuddered, remembering hearing that voice that year and wondering if she was going mad.

**~"_Come... Come to me... Let me rip you... Let me tear you... Let me kill you..._"~**

Eyes widened. Had that been Slytherin's monster talking? But how could Dorea have heard it speaking when no one else could?

**~Dorea gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.~**

All the males in the room shook their head. While some, like Dumbledore, didn't mind lilac, to have lilac ink... That was just excessive.

**~"_What_?" she said loudly.**

**"I know!" said Lockhart, glancing at Dorea anxiously. "Six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all the records!"~**

Bill kissed Dorea's forehead.

"Well, it's a good thing that he's anxious, sweety." he whispered, running his fingers through Dorea's hair. Dorea could only smile, much to Fleur's rage. _She was going to win Bill and she knew it, that cocky little bint! What was her secret?_

**~"No," said Dorea frantically. "That voice!"**

**"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"**

**"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?"**

**Lockhart was looked at Dorea with high astonishment.**

**"What are you talking about, Dorea? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy, or Peeves is nearby? Great Scott - look at the time! We've been ere nearly four hours! I'd never believed it - the time's flown, hasn't it?"~**

Hermione sent Dorea a look.

"It's a good thing he wrote it off as you just being tired." she said seriously. Dorea nodded slowly, it really had been.

**~Dorea didn't answer. She was straining her ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling her she mustn't expect a treat like this every time she got detention.~**

Dorea couldn't help but snort. It hadn't been a treat, it had been torture! Though, she thought, rubbing the back of her bandaged hand. She knew real torture now...

Bill glanced down at Dorea's hand with worry. He wanted to know what Dorea had done that earned a bandage, Madam Pomfrey could heal wounds in minutes - maybe she was hiding something? Bill vowed that if Dorea still had the bandage on tomorrow, then he would find out why she was wearing it, whether she wanted him to know or not.

**~Feeling dazed, Dorea left.**

**It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty, save the one or two couples that found their spots near the fireplace. Dorea went straight up to the dormitory. None of the other girls were back from Gryffindor Girl Night yet. Dorea pulled on her pyjamas, got into bed, and waited. Half an hour later, they all arrived, Hermione nursing her right and and bringing a strong smell of something delicious into the darkened room.**

**"I banged my arm against a corner earlier," she groaned, rubbing the beginnings of a bruise on the back of her forearm. "Didn't break the skin at all, but several of the older girls just wouldn't leave me alone until they determined that there would be nothing more than a bruise left. Took ages to get them off my back... How was it with Professor Lockhart?"~**

Dorea began cursing loudly in Parseltongue, making almost everyone stare at her in shock and/or terror at being able to speak the Snake's Tongue. Bill, however, had to suppress the very dirty ideas as to what Dorea could do with that tongue of hers before she realized where that train of thought would be about.

**~Keeping her voice low so as to not be overheard by Far, Dianna, Parvati, and stuck up Lavender,~**

Parvati narrowed her eyes at Lavender's description. Was her friend really that bad?

**~Dorea told Hermione exactly what she had heard.**

**"And Professor Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" said Hermione. Dorea could see her frowning in the moonlight. "D'you think he was lying? Not that I think he would be, but I don't get it - even someone invisible would've had to open the door."**

**"I know, said Dorea, lying back in her four-poster and staring at the dark canopy above her. "I don't get it either."~**

Harry closed the book and began to look around.

"Well, that's the chapter," he said. "Who wants to read next?"

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall opened again, only this time the two people to walk in were unwanted and unwelcome guests to the readings.

**~O~O~O~**

**DUN DUN DUUUUUN! GUESS WHO WILL BE JOINING EVERYONE NOW!**

**Word Count: 14,745**

**Wow, impressive count this time. Pretty long, it I do say so myself! Eh heh heh... Sierra was pissed because this chapter was apparently 45 pages long... ^^"**

**Review Count: 851**

***stares* Sweet Jesus... Is it safe... To up the Goal Count... By some more? Say... Raise it to 50 reviews per chapter?**

**Review Goal: 900**

**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**  
**V**

**Please leave a review and tell me what you think... I feel faint...**


	29. Book 2: Chapter 8

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Oh my God, guys! I am so so so so so sooo sorry about the late update! I tried to get this updated on Sunday - but it just didn't work out... I was busy working on my ISUs... ^^'**

**Alright, I'm a little annoyed. An anonymous reviewer (whose review I deleted) called me greedy because I don't update until after the goal that I set has been hit - usually the goal that I set is hit within a few days. Do you seriously expect me to update so quickly? I have exams coming less than a month, and I have 2 ISUs due on the 14th that I've worked all week on. So until exams are over, I'm afraid that updates will come much slower. I am so sorry about this, guys, but considering that I can't study for the life of me and that I'm a serious procrastinator, updates will probably come up once a week, maybe even less. Again, so sorry, but really, the stress is killing me right now!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**se2zno: I responded to your review. Happy now, Sierra? :P And you know you love me ;) You have too much fun editing my stories to just give up being my beta!**

**MistBlade8: Alright, I am definately sending you a friend request then! My usename is ThornMagic then a bunch of numbers that I can't remember for the life of me... Yes yes, Remus is much more lively, mainly because Moony is happy that he has his pack back with him. Yes, Luna is a Seer. Didn't I state that in an earlier chapter...? Bill and Dorea will probably get together in the Halloween/Samhain interlude(second next chapter), so don't worry! I don't plan on having my fans rip out their hair because of how long this is taking! And technically, in the story, this is only day 5... They're moving pretty fast in this relationship... Though that may be because they're around each other almost all the time now...**

**ladyivory01: Yes, yes it is. Thank you! They'll probably get together second next chapter(Halloween/Samhain interlude), but they'll keep their relationship more quiet in public than the other couples. Honestly, I'm thinking about making the only reason that the public finds out that they're together because of someone writing a letter or something... They'll probably find out that they're SoulMates during the Second Task or something, Lily may slip up and mention it... If Lily does slip up, that's when everyone else finds out as well. This story has a bit of everyone bashing, especially for Ron and Hermione during the third book because they were both acting like selfish idiots in that year. Yes, there will be more magical creatures show up. I'm not sure if Dante will find his dad or not... Thanks for the review!**

**Meggie Ray: Why thank you! Heh heh heh... I hate how Fleur acted in the fourth book, so her personality here is based off that... Knowing Fleur, she's gonna bark up the wrong tree and probably piss off the wrong people... Why thank you! You're compliments are actually making me blush! :) I'm thinking about writing a femHarry/Charlie story, but after this story is finished, of course. I find (fem)Harry/Bill stories to be adorable, even though there are a lot more (fem)Harry/Charlie stories. I think that's because Charlie was never paired with anyone in canon - actually, what annoys me about the canon is that JKR rarely ever mentions Charlie! He was described in the fourth book, briefly mentioned in the fifth, and then barely mentioned at all in the seventh! I wanna know more about Charlie the Dragon Tamer! Thank you, I plan on improving even more as I write, since that's how my writing got to the level that it's at today.**

**il2wim57: Well, considering that the last two chapters got like, 60-70 reviews a piece, I think that raising the Review Count up to 50 is a good idea. I only set it high based on how many reviews I get per chapter, eventually I may have it set to around 200 reviews per chapter. It really depends all on how many people are willing to review my story. I'm not trying to pressure anyone, but I find it a stress reliever to have people hit the amount of review that I hope they do. Well, they've both been silenced and nothing has really happened in the books so far to incriminate Dorea, and for all we know they believe Lockhart in the idea that the voice that Dorea heard was simply an overactive imagination from how tired she was due to the time of night. The Death Day party is gonna be fun, no Headless Horseman makes fun of Nick and gets away with it on my watch! *raises fist* Dorea's reaction is basically my own! ... Yeah, I'm pretty passionate about my story ^^" I literally walk around my house muttering lines that characters could say just to figure out what can happen at which parts of the story. I already have the reactions to the basilisk all planned out! Aw, why thank you! I'm glad that someone is happy that I write personal things in the A/Ns! Mainly because most people would get annoyed by the long A/Ns at the top of the chapter and just ignore them. I don't plan on giving up on this story, I plan on seeing it through until the last chapter!**

**LM Ryder: Well, making Snape the one to cast it just makes him more of what he hates, now doesn't it? After all, who says that a Slytherin that's fed up with Snape's bias ways isn't gonna use that curse on him? *whistles innocently and edges away from Daphne* I don't see Severus caning his students, seeing as how his father abused him as a child, but that punishment actually sounds pretty good. Well, I don't think that anyone in their right mind would assign someone looking after Sirius as their detentions... Especially not someone that's as stuck up as Malfoy. How about he has to work for Remus instead? Bwahahahahaha... Add in the fact that Malfoy's a bigot and that's the perfect punishment...**

**Aileen Dickinson: The Reading the Books stories where everyone reads them without any real consideration as to what's being revealed disgusts me. It just tells me that the author/authoress writing the story doesn't take into consideration that the characters are supposed to be human or at least part human, and that they should have the reactions as humans normally would. Those are the types of stories that I would use as reference for what happens in the chapter word for word, since that's all those stories are good for, in my opinion at least. I have read some good ones, like Reading Bella Potter or Reading AJ Potter, both Reading the Books stories with actual plot lines and ideas that go alongside the books, as well as human reactions to what's being read. Well, there's also theangelsbleedinblood's Reading the Book stories, which are really good as well. And contain Molly, Ginny, and some Ron and Hermione bashing! As for Bill and Dorea getting together - I promise, in the Samhain/Halloween interlude(second next chapter) THEY WILL FINALLY GET TOGETHER!**

**bloomnskyrules: Yes, it is the Malfoys. Remember, Draco Malfoy sent them a letter saying that something was going on in Hogwarts but he couldn't tell them what. Yes, Molly is finally beginning to understand why the Twins do the things they do. He will attempt to in the next interlude, and as for what Bill does to him... Heh heh heh... *evil smirk* Do you really wanna know...? Well, considering that Colin is in love with Dorea and how his friends are making fun of his past actions at his expense, yeah, I had to write in his reactions. They will (FINALLY) get together second next chapter(Halloween/Samhain interlude)! Considering that this is the around halfway point for the second book, the next chapter will be in the later half of the book! *beams* So I kept the promise that I made at the beginning as to when Bill and Dorea will be getting together! It'll probably be after the karaoke, though... That was I can do the song requests that I got... I had fun writing that scene, mainly because the asshole finally gets it!**

**griffindork93: Nah, I've done that before. Didn't hurt, now that I think about it... Just attracted everyone's attention... Yes, Hedwig is Dorea's familiar, which is why she loves Dorea and Bill so much and hates Fleur with a passion. Well, I needed to give Oliver an embarrassing nickname, and I wasn't sure that people picked up on why he got it the first time. The Twins will only ever call Oliver by his real name when they're serious about something, so you'll be able to tell in the books when they're serious. I think it should have been too, but their loss may have contributed to the fact that Ravenclaw could have been aiming to catch the Snitch as soon as possible so as to win with a high a score as possible as well. At least, that's what I imagine is what happened. Alright, but this is Malfoy. When would he willingly do research about something that isn't for school? In his opinions, that's for poor people. Ok, this is Harry we're talking about. He wouldn't say that word unless he absolutely had to, in this case he did. Plus he knew about his mother and Snape's falling out and why it happened, so of course he's going to apologize for saying it. That would be like someone being forced to say something that's racist against their mother. Wouldn't you apologize before you said it? I had a reference to GGN during an interlude, not a chapter in the first book. Firsties aren't involved because the older girls want the firsties to know each other better before they join the GGN, otherwise it could be really overwhelming. She only got good in the fifth book up, and that's still not saying much. Seems to me that she was too concerned with the other students to even think that famous Harry Potter could possibly have some issues that he needed to talk to an adult about. Well, considering that Dorea can also sic Dumbledore on Lockhart's rear, he'll back off from touching her outside of classes. Remember, in canon he uses Harry to act out scenes from his books. What makes you think he wouldn't use those as an excuse to touch Dorea, even if it's just grabbing her shoulder?**

**Laura-Shi: Susan, in my opinion, is a very opinionated girl and isn't afraid to speak her mind. And since she has(at the moment) a minor crush on Ron, when it comes to Molly embarrassing her son or confusing his favourite things with another family member's confused, she has to say something that expresses how annoyed she is at the fact that Molly is always praised to be a great mother when all this stuff happens that says otherwise. I had fun dressing down the Slytherin team, especially considering that they were bragging about how they would win because they had the best brooms out there. Well, I needed Dorea to get that book because I had that scene planned out from the moment I decided to start this story, so I decided "Hey, since Dumbles is gonna have a more grandfatherly role in this story, why not have him send her birthday and Christmas gifts?" So that book was her birthday gift from him, seeing as how he knew she might need it later on in life. Yeah, that's what I meant... Oopsies! ^/^" Well, I'm only human, and so is my beta. Mistakes will always pop up - especially concerning fanon words such as sweatdrop(ped/ping), facepalm, glomp, etc. Why thank you!**

**Aida Ines Zenobia: Yes yes, I am the one that she must be blabbering about. Though I find it a huge compliment that she keeps blabbering about me... *smiles* Thank you! Well, I convey my reactions through Susan, and yeah, Molly does annoy me. That's exactly what annoys me the most, she is their mother, she gave birth to the Twins and raised them, yet she can't tell them apart? Honestly, that's why I love Molly bashing stories so much, because JK Rowling made it so easy to bash on her. Hmmm.. Maybe near the end of the second book, beginning of the third? Yeah, Billy's possessive, mainly because he and Dorea are finally beginning to realize that they love each other, so their souls are beginning the bonds that will prevent anyone else from touching them after they're married or Bonded. Dan will definitely be the first to make a move, but that won't be until much, much later in the story. Like, probably around the fifth or sixth book later. Hope you enjoy this chapter! -Sakura**

**~O~O~O~**

**Holy crap... The review replies was like, 2000 words on its own... Good thing I don't include that in my word count! :3**

**~O~O~O~**

The two that walked into the Hall were Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Looking extremely important, Lucius walked right up to Dumbledore, and tapped his cane on the ground impatiently.

"My son sent me a letter saying that something was happening, but that he couldn't say what. I'm here to find out exactly what it was he was trying to tell me." he said, his voice carrying through the Hall. Malfoy literally slammed his head against the table in front of him, he specifically told his father in that letter to not come to Hogwarts! And what was he thinking, announcing that in front of everyone?! Was he trying to get him killed?! From the entrance of the Hall, a woman cleared her throat. Everyone turned to see the three strangers standing there once again.

"Well, this was unexpected. We figured that someone," Not known by anyone else, the woman glanced at Parkinson and Malfoy. "Would alert unwanted guests as to what was happening, so we specified the spell so that no one outside of this Hall would be able to find out what was going on, whether through someone trying to tell them or through Legilimency. We never thought that people would actually come here uninvited." The woman shook her head at her and her brothers' naivety. Merlin they were stupid... The tallest man spoke up.

"As such, now that Lord and Lady Malfoy are here, they are included in the spell and are unable to alert anyone as to what is happening with the readings. Oh, and before we forget," he turned to look at Harry. "We'll be able to send you back midway through the third book. I'm sorry for the long wait, but some of the items required to fix the inter-dimensional wormhole are expensive and will take about two weeks to get here..." He scratched the back of his hood, and both Harry and Dorea somehow knew that he was grinning sheepishly. "Anyway, you and m- Dorea might as well get acquainted with each other, especially since you know things that she doesn't." The three strangers nodded and vanished in a flash of golden light. Confused, Lucius and Narcissa allowed themselves to be led to sit near Snape so that he would be able to explain to them what had happened that they had to be updated on. Needless to say, both were shocked to their core, not only about what Dorea had done in her first year, but also that their Lord truly wanted her to be his Dark Lady. Sinistra leaned over and began to explain to Narcissa what Snape left out, that her son acted like a spoiled brat at Hogwarts. Understandably, Narcissa was peeved beyond belief. She had raised her son to behave better than that!

Madam Bones cleared her throat and looked at the man from another dimension.

"I'll read," she offered. Harry nodded and levitated the book over to her. Grabbing it, she opened it to the next chapter and began to read.

~**CHAPTER EIGHT - THE DEATHDAY PARTY~ **she read. Dorea smiled at Nick, who was positively beaming, before she remembered what had happened right after she left the party. Mrs. Norris had been petrified.

~**October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy.~**

"He didn't literally bully her into taking it, more like he wouldn't stop pestering her." Ron defended, glaring at the people that had the audacity to glare at his brother. Apparently, discovering that his elder brother was the victim of an Imperius Potion altered his opinion of the third oldest Weasley.

~**The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.~**

No one could hold in their laughter at the mental image. Galandriel grit her teeth at the sound of Naomi's laughter, sirens loved drowning High Elves above any other race. It was that reason that High Elves had a natural hatred for sirens.

~**Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened~**

Charlie made a face. As much as he loved Quidditch, he really didn't like the practices that took place during the rain. Judging by James' scowl and Sirius' frown, they agreed with him on that aspect.

~**which was why Dorea was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud..~**

Suddenly, everyone in the Hall that had gotten in trouble with Filch for being covered with mud flinched, hoping that Dorea hadn't been caught by him, despite knowing that she would have been.

~**Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team**,~

Umbridge cleared her throat and glared at the Twins.

"That's cheating, you two." Dorea rolled her eyes and glared at the Pink Toad Queen, deciding for once and for all that she wouldn't put up with her fascist bullshit anymore.

"Oh please, as if they haven't spied on the Gryffindor team as well. It's part of the game, in case you haven't realized, or is it that your head is shoved so far up that uptight arse of yours that you can't tell truth from fiction?" she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at the now enraged DADA professor. Jaws dropped as everyone who had served detention with Umbridge stared at Dorea in awe, this was the Gryffindor Girl that they knew! The one that wouldn't take unfairness lying down. With narrowed eyes, Umbridge smirked at Dorea.

"Detention, Mi- _Lady_ Potter." she snarled. Dorea smirked and touched the bandages on her right hand, making Bill's eyes narrow. _Did she injure herself from Umbridge's detentions...?_

"No, I don't think so." she said, her eyes widening in near panic as Bill began to unwrap the bandages on Dorea's hand. "W-wha - Bill - What're you -" she stammered, trying to get Bill to stop removing the bandages. "No - don't - stop - what're - _why_ -" She was cut off when she saw the anger in Bill's eyes as he looked down at the red, angry scars on the back of Dorea's hand.

"_I must not tell lies_." he mouthed, then handed Dorea to James, who happily took her and sat her down on his lap. He stood up and snarled at the Staff Table. "_**WHO THE BLOODY HELL HAS BEEN TORTURING **__**MY**__** DOREA WITH A BLOOD QUILL**_?!" he roared, causing everyone who knew what a Blood Quill was to gasp in absolute horror. Usually, Blood Quills were only allowed in Gringotts due to the fact that they were rarely, if ever, used for signing important documents, such as Wills. McGonagall turned to Umbridge, who had paled considerably. She began to snarl as Umbridge began to sweat.

"_You_?!" she growled, fingering her wand. Bill was one step ahead of her, whipping out his wand and pointing it at the pink-loving toad-like woman. A flurry of spells flew out of his wand so quickly that Dorea had only blinked and Umbridge looked like a toad demon straight from the deepest depths of Hell. Almost every single person in the Hall had taken their turn in cursing, hexing, jinxing, or even Charming Umbridge to the point where she was completely unrecognizable. Dorea clenched her fists and stared at the ground, she hated it when people did things like this. She could take care of it, she didn't need to be babied the way everyone wanted to...

_But you know you love it,_ smirked the traitorous part of her mind. _Especially since Bill said that you were his. Possessive is quite a sexy look on him..._ Dorea's face burned a furious red as that same traitorous, and extremely perverted, part of her mind started thinking up images as to exactly how... Er, _sexy_ Bill could be... _Especially_ without any clothes... _And_ screaming her name... _As well as_ - _OH MERLIN DON'T EVEN START ON THAT! _Dorea mentally screamed. She heard her perverted part chuckle, knowing just how Dorea had reacted to the mental images that her mind had provided. Sometimes an overactive imagination was the worst...

Dorea was tempted to slam her head against the table as she heard Madam Bones place Umbitch, as she had began to mentally call the woman, under arrest for torturing students at Hogwarts. She blushed even more as Bill pulled her out of her father's lap and began to snuggle up to her, muttering soothing words in her ears and rubbing his fingers through her hair. She could hardly care when the Potter Family Signet Ring informed her that, because Umbridge would likely be Kissed or executed for her crimes, the Umbridge Estate was under her control as well, especially considering the crimes that Umbridge had committed against her.

After Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius had been restrained so as to prevent them from murdering Umbridge, as well as Umbridge being forced to sit with the Dursleys so as to prevent someone from attempting to murder her (namely Sinistra, Flitwick, McGonagall, and Sprout), Madam Bones continued reading.

~**had seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles.~**

"Dad?" Ron asked. Fred and George just nodded in confirmation.

"Dad." they said simultaneously. Lucius sneered - stupid blood traitors, filthy muggle lovers...

~**As Dorea squelched along the deserted corridor, she came across somebody who looked just as preoccupied as he was. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower, was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, "... Don't fulfill their requirement half an inch, if that..."**

**"Hello, Nick," said Dorea cheerfully, happy to see her friend, even if he wasn't in the best of moods.~**

"It is always a pleasure to see our Champion." Nick said, beaming at Dorea. Not many people were happy to see their House Ghost.

Narcissa, on the other hand, raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at Nick's wording. _Champion...?_

~**"Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed.~**

Hermione twitched, did Dorea only give living humans unattractive descriptions? Or was it just her and Ron? Oh wait, she forgot about Snape... Dammit, she was lumped in the same category as Snape was now!

~** He was pale as smoke, and Dorea could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.**

**"You look troubled, young Dorea," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet.~**

"Wait, how does that work? Ghosts can't usually touch corporal objects..." Sierra asked in confusion. Surprisingly, it wasn't Hermione that answered, but Dorea.

"It's a special type of parchment, as well as special quills and inks, that allow ghosts to touch and use them." she explained, and before she could get into the specifics about how they worked, Madam Bones continued reading. Much to Dorea's enthusiasm, Bill allowed her to quietly explain how it worked to him, making the six ghosts in the Hall smile happily. So their Champion's love was interested in what Dorea knew, was he?

~**"So do you, Nick." said Dorea in concern.~**

Baron William smiled at Dorea.

"You are truly the kindest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, not many bother to care for us ghosts." he said, making Myrtle, Helena, John, and Nick all nod in agreement. Dorea just looked at them in confusion.

"You may not have corporal bodies, but you're all human too. Why should I treat you as anything less than human?" she asked gently. Bill smiled and kissed Dorea's scar, making the ravenette flush as the perverted part of her mind (which she had caged up during her third year, she would have to check as to how it managed to escape...) cast even more mental images towards her, all dedicated to the things that Bill could make her feel... She would really have to check the damage that the little pervert in her mind did to that cage that allowed her to escape...

~**"Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "A matter of no importance... It's not as though I really wanted to join... Thought I'd apply, but apparently I don't fulfill requirements." In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face**.~

Nick hid his grimace, he really was a horrible liar. Always had been, it was one of the key reasons that he had been executed. He could not deny having fallen in love with the king's daughter.

~**"But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "That getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"**

**"Oh yes," said Dorea, who was obviously supposed to agree, but honestly thought that Nick had a point. She couldn't help but wonder how stupid that executioner had been to have used a blunt axe on her friend.~**

Nick beamed warmly at Dorea as Lucius mentally sneered. _So the stupid halfblood whore was friends with ghosts._

~** "I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However," Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously in a way that made Dorea angry as well. "'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfil our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'"~**

"Hhalf an inch of skin! Half an inch! That's all there is that's holding his head on! Honestly, Sir Perfectly-Decapitated Podmore can go suck it." Dorea huffed, making Nick grin as he remembered that that had been exactly what he had called Podmore in front of Dorea.

~v**Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away. "Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Dorea! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir **_**Properly Decapitated**_**-Podmore.**"~

People couldn't help but snicker, Dorea and Nick were more alike than they thought, even though Dorea was much more crass than Nick was.

~** Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So what's bothering you? Anything I can do?"**

**"No," said Dorea. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly-"**

**The rest of Dorea's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near her ankles. She looked down and found herself gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes**.~

The Marauders and the Twins, both Weasley and Prewett, all flinched almost violently.

"Run for it." James whispered, grabbing Dorea's arm. She had only ever been caught once by Filch, and she had been ostracized after the fact. It wouldn't do her any good to be caught once again.

~**It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students.~**

"Argus..." Dumbledore growled warningly. "You better not have overreacted to anything..."

~** "You'd better get out of here quick, Dorea," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood - he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five. He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place -"~**

"You'll get in trouble for it." Nick finished, floating around Dorea and Bill, holding back his feminine chuckles. The two of them were so cute together, it was nearly impossible to believe that they were so dense to each other's feelings!

~**"Right," said Dorea, backing away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris, but not quickly enough. ~**

Everyone who had ever been caught by Filch flinched. Dorea just had horrible luck.

**~Drawn to the spot by the mysterious power that seemed to connect him with his foul cat, Argus Filch burst suddenly through a tapestry to Dorea's right, wheezing and looking wildly about for the rule-breaker. There was a thick tartan scarf bound around his head, and his nose was unusually purple.~**

Madam Pomfrey sent Filch an extremely icy glare. He could have gotten students sick because he hadn't gone to see her!

~**"Filth!" he shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Dorea's Quidditch robes. "Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potter!"~**

"Argus, you're job is to clean the school. You have no reason to be attempting to punish Dorea for something that she has no control over." Dumbledore snarled, causing everyone in the Hall to flinch at the sound. It was actually very scary to hear...

~**So Dorea waved a gloomy good-bye to Sir Nick and followed Filch back downstairs, doubling the number of muddy footprints on the floor.**

**Dorea had never actually been inside Filch's office before;~**

"The one time I was caught I was brought to McGonagall." she explained hastily before her father could say anything.

~**it was a place that most students avoided.~**

Everyone that had been a student when Filch was the caretaker nodded in agreement, they avoided Filch's office like the plague.

~** The room was dingy and windowless, lit by a single oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling. A faint smell of fried fish lingered about the place. Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Dorea could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves.~**

Sirius shook his head.

"For shame, you two. We had our own drawer by the end of first year, by our fourth year we had an entire section of his cabinet dedicated to us. And those were only the ones that we let ourselves get caught for." he mock scolded. Fred and George, in return, began to fake sob about how they had failed their heroes. Molly scowled, they really shouldn't be encouraging this behavior, it was unsightly.

~**A highly polished collection of chains and manacles hung on the wall behind Filch's desk.~**

Dumbledore could be heard growling about how those would be destroyed before this book was over.

~**It was common knowledge that he was always begging Dumbledore to let him suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling.**

**Filch grabbed a quill from a pot on his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment.**

**"Dung," he muttered furiously, "Great sizzling dragon bogie - frog brains - rat intestine - I've had enough of it - make an example - where's the - for - yes..."~**

Eyes could be seen twitching at Filch's murmurings.

~**He retrieved a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer and stretched it out in front of him, dipping his long black quill into the ink pot.**

**"Name: Dorea Potter. Crime . . ."**

**"It was only a bit of mud!" said Harry.**

**"It's only a bit of mud to you, girl, but to me it's an extra hour scrubbing!"~**

"It is your job to clean to castle, Argus. If you don't like it then you can easily get another job somewhere else." Dumbledore ground out, angry at the caretaker for threatening his granddaughter over mud.

~** shouted Filch, a drip shivering unpleasantly at the end of his bulbous nose. "Crime: befouling the castle... Suggested sentence . . ."**

**Dabbing at his streaming nose, Filch squinted unpleasantly at Dorea who waited with bated breath for her sentence to fall.~**

People all around the Hall could be heard snickering at Dorea's dramatics. Bill gently prodded Dorea's side.

"Maybe you should join a play, it would put your dramatics to good use." he teased. Dorea glared at him and started wiggling her rear around in his lap, only for Bill to shove her into the seat next to him, watching her with wary eyes. She smirked up at the blushing man.

"I warned you, didn't I? I told you I could torture you!" she teased, poking Bill's cheek.

~**But as Filch lowered his quill, there was a great BANG! on the ceiling of the office, which made the oil lamp rattle.**

**"PEEVES!" Filch roared, flinging down his quill in a transport of rage. "I'll have you this time, I'll have you!" And without a backward glance at Dorea, Filch ran flat-footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him.~**

"Don't run," Remus advised. "You'll only get it worse if he sees you again."

~**Peeves was the school poltergeist, a grinning, airborne menace who lived to cause havoc and distress.~**

"Peevesies thanks you, Miss Potty." Peeves sang, once again dropping his hat on Dorea's head. This time, Dorea began to entertain herself by playing around with the bells on the bright orange hat.

~**Dorea was very good friends with Peeves, who turned out to be quite protective of her, and couldn't help but feel extremely grateful for his timing. Hopefully, whatever Peeves had done(and it sounded as though he had wrecked something very big this time) would distract Filch from Dorea.~**

"It did, thanks Peeves." Dorea said happily. Peeves tipped his imaginary hat to the Hogwarts Champion, smiling all the while as he decided to torture Lavender Brown once again.

~** Thinking that she should probably wait for Filch to come back, Dorea sank into a moth-eaten chair next to the desk.**

**There was only one thing on it apart from his half-completed form: a large, glossy, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front. With a quick glance at the door to check that Filch wasn't on his way back, Dorea picked up the envelope and read:~**

"Dorea." Molly said in disappointment, but was cut off by James.

"You better not have been caught reading it." he smiled, grinning as his daughter smirked. So she hadn't been. Molly, on the other hand, huffed in annoyance. Really, James shouldn't be encouraging this behavior!

~_**Kwikspell A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic.**_

**Intrigued, Dorea flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said: **_**Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wand work? There is an answer! Kwikspell is an all-new, fail-safe, quick-result, easy-learn course. Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method! Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes "I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the center of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!" Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says "My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"**_

Everyone couldn't help but snort, many of the older students who understood what Filch having that meant grinned wickedly. So that was why Filch hated the students, he was bitter over the fact that he was a Squib.

~**Fascinated, Dorea thumbed through the rest of the envelope's contents. Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn't a proper wizard?~**

"See? I didn't know what a Squib was back then! Ron had to explain it to me!" Dorea said, sticking out her tongue at Filch, who had been glaring at her. He had known that she had read it, he just didn't have proof...

~**Dorea was just reading "Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips when shuffling footsteps outside told him Filch was coming back. Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope, Dorea threw it back onto the desk just as the door opened.**

**Filch was looking triumphant.**

**"That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!"~**

Dumbledore blinked. He hadn't known that Hogwarts had a Vanishing Cabinet... He should probably destroy that, if someone were to fix it they could use it to infiltrate the school.

~**he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris. "We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet"**

**His eyes fell on Dorea and then darted to the Kwikspell envelope, which, Dorea realized too late, was lying two feet away from where it had started.~**

Everyone snorted. Only with Dorea would that happen.

~**Filch's pasty face went brick red. Dorea braced herself for a tidal wave of fury. Filch hobbled across to his desk, snatched up the envelope, and threw it into a drawer.**

**"Have you did you read -?" he sputtered.**

**"No," Dorea lied quickly.~**

Dorea began to snicker wickedly.

"I still don't know how he bought that, it was a pathetic attempt at a lie." she muttered. Bill chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"He was probably too embarrassed to think that you could be lying, sweety." he muttered back. Dorea looked at him thoughtfully before smiling and nodding. He was probably right.

~**Filch's knobbly hands were twisting together.**

**"If I thought you'd read my private - not that it's mine - for a friend - be that as it may - however -"~**

People all through the room began to snicker. Filch really couldn't lie, he was worse than Dorea was when she was younger.

~**Dorea was staring at him, alarmed; Filch had never looked madder. His eyes were popping, a tic was going in one of his pouchy cheeks, and the tartan scarf didn't help.**

**"Very well - go and don't breathe a word not that - however, if you didn't read go now, I have to write up Peeves' report - go -"~**

The Marauders and both sets of Twins whistled appreciatively. That must be a first, Filch letting a student go.

~**Amazed at her luck, Dorea sped out of the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs. To escape from Filch's office without punishment was probably some kind of school record.~**

"It is." Dumbledore chuckled, smiling happily at Dorea.

**~"Dorea! Dorea! Did it work?"**

**Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Dorea could see the wreckage of a large black-and-gold cabinet that appeared to have been dropped from a great height.~**

Peeves began to cackle madly, telling everyone that it had been.

~**"I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office," said Nick eagerly. ** **"Thought it might distract him"**

**"Was that you?" said Dorea gratefully. "Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!"~**

"Again, thanks for that you two!" Dorea said happily. Peeves patted Dorea's head and Nick bowed, both happy to be of service of Hogwarts' Champion.

~**They set off up the corridor together. Nearly Headless Nick, Dorea noticed, was still holding Sir Patrick's rejection letter..**

**"I wish there was something I could do for you about the Headless Hunt," Dorea said.~**

Nick couldn't help but smile at Dorea, John and Helena doing the same thing.

"You really are the most considerate witch that any of us have met." Helena said happily, causing everyone to blink. Considering that they had been at this school for a very long time, that was saying something.

~**Nearly Headless Nick stopped in his tracks and Dorea walked right through him. She wished she hadn't; it was like stepping through an icy shower. She hadn't yet gotten used to touching ghosts, she could be around multiple ghosts for a long time and be just fine thanks to last year, but their touch still made her feel freezing cold.**

**"But there is something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Dorea, would I be asking too much but no, you wouldn't want..."**

**"What is it?" said Dorea.**

**"Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing himself up and looking dignified.**

**"Oh," said Dorea, not sure whether she should look sorry or happy about this. Happy, she assumed, since a deathday for a ghost sounded almost like a birthday for the living.~**

All the ghosts in the Hall nodded.

"Accurate comparison, actually." Baron William said, sending Dorea a small smile. He liked the Lady Potter, she had gone through so much and yet she was completely selfless.

~**"Right."**

**"I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country. It would be such an honour if you would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger would be most welcome, too, of course but I daresay you'd rather go to the school feast?" He watched Dorea on tenterhooks.**

**"No," said Dorea quickly, "I'll come, I don't like Halloween much anyway."~**

Ron's jaw dropped, but then he remembered that not only the troll incident happened the year before, but her parents were murdered on Halloween. She had a completely valid reason to not like the muggle holiday - that must be why she always voted for the wizarding holidays instead.

~**"My dear girl! Dorea Potter, at my deathday party!" And he hesitated, looking excited "Do you think you could possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?"**

**"Of of course, Nick," said Dorea. "But I would have anyway, he's nuts to reject you."**

**Nearly Headless Nick beamed at her.**

**"A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly when Dorea had changed at last and joined her and Ron in the common room. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those it'll be fascinating!".**

**"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me..."**

**"Ron, it kinda sounds like it's their version of a birthday party, you know? Since it's when they became a ghost?" Dorea said, looking over the homework that he had done so far. **

**Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a fire salamander.~**

Michaela and Charlie both grinned with Galandreil and Elront began to laugh. Salamanders, especially Fire Salamanders, loved eating fireworks, they found it fun.

~**Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class ****and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.**

**Dorea**** was at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room.~**

Those who had been there to see it cheered and laughed at the memory, that had definitely been one of the best nights that year.

~**The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Dorea's mind.~**

Ron and Hermione both shrugged, that was a totally understandable reason for forgetting what she was about to tell them. Besides, they learned it later on anyway.

~**By the time Halloween arrived, Dorea was very stressed between the amount of homework she had been getting, the insane Quidditch practices that Wood was having the team do, and Filch practically stalking Dorea because of what happened earlier that month, that she was a little anxious at the idea of going to the deathday party, when she could be up in the dorms doing her DADA homework.~**

Nick smiled sadly at Dorea.

"I would have understood if you hadn't wanted to go, especially considering that you needed something to relieve you of your stress." he said. Dorea just smiled at her ghostly friend.

"That party was a great stress reliever, just what happened after I left didn't help me in the slightest." she said quietly, making everyone who hadn't been at Hogwarts that year wonder what had happened after the deathday party.

~**The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumours that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.~**

"That was just a rumour, a good rumour, but a rumour all the same." Dumbledore reassured the students that hadn't attended Hogwarts that year, all of whom were looking at Dumbledore with shock at the idea that they didn't get something as great as that for their Halloween Feasts.

~**"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Dorea bossily. "You said you'd go to the deathday party."~**

Hermione flinched and looked at Dorea.

"Sorry, I didn't know how stressed you were." she muttered. Dorea just shrugged it off.

"I'm good at hiding my stress, you were never able to tell how stressed I was near the end of the year at the thought of going back to the Dursleys. I didn't expect you to know then, either." she said. Hermione and Ron both flinched, Dorea could read them like books but they could barely tell when Dorea was getting angry until she started shouting at them. She just had to hide all her emotions the way she did, didn't she...

~**So at seven o'clock, Dorea, Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons.**

**The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces.~**

The ghosts and Dorea all smiled happily while Ron and Hermione shuddered. They had been freezing just walking down that corridor!

~**The temperature dropped with every step they took. As Dorea watched while Ron and Hermione shivered, drawing their robes tightly around them, she heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.~**

Remus winced at the idea, gently placing his hands over his ears. Sometimes the heightened sense sucked. Big time.

~**"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.**

**"My dear friends," he said mournfully, but Dorea could tell that he was actually excited to see them. "Welcome, welcome so pleased you could come..."** **He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside. It was an incredible sight.~**

Ron and Hermione both smiled, that it had been.

~**The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.~**

"That sounds incredible..." Bill whispered in awe, a dreamy look in his eyes as he envisioned what the book had just described. Dorea smiled as she felt Bill's arms tighten around her, his head resting against her own. Now that she had locked up her perverted part nice and tight again (this time with reinforced bars) she was able to enjoy being in Bill's arms without having to worry about very adult mental images.

~**"Shall we have a look around?" Dorea suggested, wanting to warm up their feet.**

**"Careful not to walk through anyone," said Ron nervously, and they set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Friar John, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost that could tell the most entertaining stories, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.~**

Several people winced and rubbed their foreheads, imagining if that happened to them.

~**Dorea wasn't surprised to see that Baron William, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost that was covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts. Friar John and Nick had told her last year that not many people, ghost or not, liked being around the Baron because the blood intimidated them and his staring just made the factor worse. Dorea found it to be a little insulting, Baron William was one of the most polite people, human or ghost, that she had ever met, and he was amazing at cheering people up when they were feeling down.~**

Here, Baron William blushed a bright silver at the compliments that the book, and Dorea, was giving him while the other ghosts just laughed. They had never seen the Baron blush before, not once in their life.

~**"Oh, no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle." Dorea's eyes narrowed, Myrtle was so nice to her. Why didn't Hermione want to talk to her?**

**"Who?" said Ron as they backtracked quickly, though Dorea was still a little angry at Hermione for being rude about Myrtle.**

**"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," said Hermione.~**

"You haunt a toilet?" Charlie asked Myrtle. She nodded solemnly.

"It was where I was killed... I don't want anyone else to be killed there so I try to keep other people away..." she moaned, causing all the girls that hadn't known that fact in the Hall to blink. They had no idea that Myrtle was being a pain to keep them from suffering the same fate that she did. The only ones that knew this, because they had actually talked to Myrtle as if she was a real person instead of something that was just there, were Dorea, Luna, and Naomi.

~**"She haunts a toilet?"~**

Charlie and Ron grinned at each other as the rest of the Hall laughed. Brothers think alike, after all.

~**"Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you..."**

**"Look, food!" said Ron.~**

Both Hermione and Dorea snorted while everyone else just shook their heads. Fred grinned and nudged George, pointed at where Susan was resting her head against Ron's shoulder, yawning from how tired she was. The two brothers just grinned at each other, they would need to play a little matchmaker, wouldn't they?

~**On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mould~**

People all around the room began to gag at the description that Dorea provided. Ok, that was it. Her descriptiveness was a double edged sword. One the one hand, some of the scenes that she described were absolutely breathtaking. Then there were these moments when you cursed it with all you have.

~**Dorea watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.**

**"Can you taste it if you walk though it?" Dorea asked him kindly.**

**"Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.~**

"Poor thing..." Naomi muttered, holding a hand over her heart. There were many reasons that she pitied ghosts, and this was one of them. They would forever be unable to enjoy what they once good.

~**"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," said Hermione knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.**

**"Can we move? I feel sick," said Ron.~**

"I'm surprised that Potter wasn't." Parkinson grumbled, glaring icily at Dorea. Judging by the fact that the girl didn't respond, she didn't hear what the pug faced girl had said.

~**They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them.**

**"Hello, Peeves," said Dorea cheerfully.~**

The pranksters all shook their heads, still finding it difficult to believe that Dorea and Peeves were friends.

~**Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face.**

**"Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus. Judging by the way that Peeves was eying Hermione coldly, Dorea knew that he had something planned.~**

Myrtle smirked, things like this was what made being friends with Peeves worth it, especially if you went along with what he wanted to do.

~**"No thanks," said Hermione.**

**"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing. "Rude you was about poor Myrtle." He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OY! MYRTLE!"**

**"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," ~**

"Then you shouldn't have said it to begin with." Dorea snapped. Myrtle had been there for her when Hermione and Ron both failed to see behind her cracking mask, the ghostly girl had become a sister of sorts to Dorea. She would visit Myrtle all the time in her bathroom, though it was usually to find out the latest gossip. Myrtle always managed to find out the best dirt on everyone, and while neither of them told the secrets(unless it involved someone cheating on someone else, because then it wouldn't be fair to the person being cheated on if they didn't find out), it was always fun to just sit around in that bathroom and act like the schoolgirls there were.

~**Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her - er, hello, Myrtle."**

**The short ghost of a girl had glided over. Up until she saw Dorea and Peeves, she had the glummest face that Dorea had ever seen, but once she saw the pair her eyes half-hidden behind her lank hair and think, pearly spectacles began to sparkle with mischief.**

**"What?" she said extremely sulkily, and Dorea held back a snicker. **_**Play along, Dorea, and don't screw up... **_**she thought to herself. **_**Payback for talking about Myrtle like that...~**_

Hermione stared at Dorea in shock. Dorea actually cared about that wailing ghost? But... Even if Myrtle had been there for Dorea... Guilt settled into her stomach. Myrtle had been there for Dorea when she hadn't been. Myrtle was the friend that Dorea could go to without worrying about being judged. Myrtle was the friend for Dorea that she wasn't.

~**"How are you, Myrtle?" said Hermione in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."**

**Myrtle sniffed.**

**"Miss Granger was just talking about you..." said Peeves slyly in Myrtle's ear.**

**"Just saying saying how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves.**

**Myrtle eyed Hermione angrily, just as Dorea did.~**

Hermione flinched, she hadn't noticed that at all...

~**"You're making fun of me," she said, false silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.**

**"No honestly didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Dorea and Ron painfully in the ribs. Dorea just sent Hermione a disgusted look, she wouldn't defend someone that talked about her friend behind their back.~**

Helena smiled brightly at Dorea, she was so much like Lord Godric and Lord Salazar had been. The two would be so proud of her right now, especially if they knew that she was their Heiress and Lady. Dorea had confessed to Helena and Myrtle about her inheritance the other day, about how scared she had been at how people would react when they found out that she was Lady Slytherin. Helena had given her some advice that she had gotten from her own mother - those that care don't matter, and those that don't care matter. If her friends left her because of something that she couldn't control, then they were never really her friends to begin with.

~**"Oh yeah, she did." Ron muttered, shifting from foot to foot.**

**"Don't lie to me," Myrtle fake gasped, the crocodile tears now running down her face, while Peeves chuckled proudly over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!" Dorea winked at Peeves and tapped her nose, making Peeves grin wickedly at their own version of sign language.**

**"You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear, winking back at Dorea.**

**Myrtle burst into dramatic sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her with moldy peanuts, yelling, "Pimply! Pimply!"**

**"Oh dear," said Hermione sadly. Dorea only glared at her.**

**"If you didn't want Peeves to say anything then you shouldn't've brought her up to begin with." she growled, making both Ron and Hermione to blink in surprise as they stared at her in shock. Dorea quickly covered up her inner rage as she noticed Nick drifting toward them through the crowd.**

**"Enjoying yourselves?" he asked, though Dorea could tell the question was directed more towards her than Ron and Hermione.**

**"Oh, yes." Ron and Hermione lied, but Dorea was honest. She enjoyed the ghostly company that was at the deathday party.~**

Nearly everyone sent Dorea weird looks, but Naomi and Luna both just nodded. They understood what Dorea was talking about, very few ghosts would judge someone based off of one or two things. They were very helpful when it came to needing to rant to someone or needing advice as well.

~**"Not a bad turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra..."**

**The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon, fell silent, looking around in excitement, as a hunting horn sounded.**

**"Oh, here we go," said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly.**

**Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Dorea was about to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's face.~**

Nick could only beam at Dorea, she was truly a great friend.

~**The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn.**

**The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.**

**"Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"~**

Naomi couldn't help but snarl. Great, just what she wanted to hear about, a conceited ghost. Looks like she would have to summon him and teach him some manners, if Dorea hadn't knocked him down a few pegs already.

**~He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.**

**"Welcome, Patrick," said Nick stiffly.**

**"Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Dorea, Ron, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter). Dorea's eyes narrowed, now she understood why Nick didn't like him, he was just a big prick.**

**"Very amusing," said Nick darkly. Dorea just glared venomously at the headless ghost while Ron and Hermione stood there, not really knowing what to do.**

**"Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset that we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say, look at the fellow -"**

**"I think, said Dorea hurriedly, smiling at Nick. "That the Hunt must not be as grand as you think it is if you keep rejecting Nick here from it. I mean, it only took 45 swings from an axe to behead him, how many did it take you? One?" she sneered, once again becoming friendly with her inner Slytherin. "Quite honestly, I don't see the real point in hanging around someone who decides that someone isn't 'properly beheaded'," here Dorea used air quotes. "Simply because they have half an inch of skin holding their neck together. So I say to you, good day Sir **_**Prat**_**rick." Dorea spat at Sir Patrick's head, turned on her heel and walked away with Ron and Hermione trailing off behind her. She winked at Nick as she passed him, his proud face saying all that was needed to be said.~**

Naomi beamed at Dorea while the rest of the Hall applauded Dorea's speech. She was really good at doing those on the spot, after all. First the one that convinced Ron and Hermione to save the Stone with her, and now this one.

Narcissa smiled at Dorea, not that her spluttering husband noticed. Dorea was much more like her namesake than she was her father, she knew that her Aunt Dorea would have given a similar, if not identical, speech to the one that Dorea gave.

~**As she walked away from the flustered ghost, she noticed that many of the ghosts that had stopped to listen to their conversation were either whispering with each other or staring at Dorea with respect. She paused and waited near an empty table, watching as Nick moved towards the podium and stage.**

**"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nick loudly, striding behind the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.~**

"That sounds so cool..." Fabian muttered, looking over at Dorea, who was smiling happily at the memory. Apparently she had had fun that night.

~**"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow..."**

**But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers. Dorea began to mentally curse the ghost as she glared at his soaring head. Sir Patrick's head once turned to look at her, only to meet her venomous glare and turn quickly away.~**

Naomi couldn't help but smirk. Looks like a certain ghost was afraid of a certain Potter, she could use that to her advantage - maybe bring up the dressing down that Dorea gave him, that would certainly help deflate his ego.

~**Ron and Hermione were very cold by now, not to mention hungry. Dorea didn't understand this, she wasn't cold or hungry in the slightest - then again, Lady Helena always joked around with her that if she kept hanging around ghosts she would become a living ghost herself.**

**"I can't stand much more of this, Dorea," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor. Dorea sighed and nodded.**

**"Let's go then, just let me tell someone to let Nick know why we're leaving." Dorea said, wandering off to find Baron William. Once she found him, which wasn't very hard to do, Dorea walked up to him with a warm smile on her face, one that the Baron returned. Ignoring the shocked gasps from the surrounding ghosts, Dorea stopped so that she was standing right next to Baron William.**

**"Baron, could you tell Nick that my friends and I are leaving? They aren't used to being around you guys as much as I am, and with the amount of guests here they're getting cold quickly. Be sure to tell Nick that I had a lovely time." she said, and even though she knew it would only make her cold, she wrapped her arms around that Baron's neck to give him a hug. Slowly, Baron William returned the hug and his smile widened. The gasps increased and whispers followed.**

**"Of course I will, Dorea. Be sure to prevent your friends from getting sick, alright?" he requested, resting a hand on Dorea's head. Dorea smiled and nodded before the two parted ways, Baron William over to Nick and Dorea back to Ron and Hermione. The three of them backed toward the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.**

**"Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall.**

**And then Dorea heard it.**

_**"... rip... tear...kill..."**_

Umbridge had an almighty look on her face, so the Potter bratlette had been hearing voices in the past! This was just proof that she was insane and didn't deserve to hold the title of Lady Potter!

**It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office.  
She stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all her might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.**

**"Dorea, what're you -?"**

**"It's that voice again - just shut up a minute -"~**

Molly narrowed her eyes at how rude Dorea proved she could be. Well, that one ghost did deserve the dressing down that Dorea gave him, but that didn't excuse her for telling her friends to shut up!

_**so hungry...for so long..."**_

**"Listen!" said Dorea urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching her.**

_**"...kill...time to kill..."**_

**The voice was growing fainter. Dorea was sure it was moving away moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement~**

"Wait, why excitement?" Ron asked in confusion. Dorea shrugged.

"I'm assuming that it's because I'm a Parselmouth and it was a powerful creature, my magic might have responded to it because I can talk to it." she said. Umbridge scowled - so Dorea was just hearing some stupid snake talking.

Moody's magical eye whirled around in its socket as he began to think. Powerful creature... Parselmouth... Chamber of Secrets... Was it Salazar Slytherin's monster? But that was only a legend... Then again, it was the title of this book... So maybe it was a rare and undiscovered serpent? He wouldn't put it past Salazar Slytherin to breed a rare serpent that only he could control - it may be a hybrid of many different types of serpents, there were several that could hibernate for a thousand years... Magical serpents, of course...

~**gripped her as she stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?**

**"This way," she shouted, and she began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Dorea sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind her.**

**"Dorea, what're we"**

**"**_**SHH**_**!"**

**Dorea strained her ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, she heard the voice; **_**"...smell blood SMELL BLOOD!"**_

**Her stomach lurched - **

**"It's going to kill someone!" she shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces, she ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over her own pounding footsteps - **

**Dorea hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind her, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage, catching up to Dorea's, whose head was whipping back and forth as she searched for the source of the voice.**

**"Dorea, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything..."**

**But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.**

**"Look!"~**

Those who had seen what had happened felt sick at the memory popped into their head, Dorea standing there in complete confusion, Ron's hand on her shoulder as he tried to keep her out of sight from the crowd, and Hermione just standing there, staring at Mrs. Norris in complete horror.

~**Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. **

**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.~**

Narcissa glared at Lucius, who was smirking. He had told her that the Diary he had given the Weasley girl would hurt Dumbledore as well as the muggleborns, but he had never told he that it would do _that_.

~**"What's that thing hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.**

**As they edged nearer, Dorea almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed her, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.~**

Everyone who had seen Mrs. Norris hanging there nodded, their faces grim. That was the exact reaction that they had when they saw that.

~**Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.**

**For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here," and tried to drag Dorea away from the scene, Hermione taking a few steps back with him. Dorea didn't budge.**

**"Shouldn't we try and help," Dorea began awkwardly.~**

Mrs. Norris and Filch both looked at Dorea, maybe she wasn't as much like the other students as they once thought that she was...

~**"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."**

**But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends. The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.~**

"We had heard Dorea's scream, that's why we all left the Feast." Fred explained, looking at shivering Ginny warily. He could still remember the cold horror that had seemingly seeped into his bones when he had heard that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber, the relief and thankfulness that warmed him from the inside when he heard that Dorea had saved her. He wanted to know what had happened in that Chamber, but Ron, Ginny, Dorea, and his parents had all been tight lipped about it. Nothing had convinced them to tell the rest of the family as to what had happened. Now, at the end of the book, it looks like they would find out.

~**Then someone shouted through the quiet.**

**"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"**

**It was Draco Malfoy.~**

Snape held back a snarl as Narcissa's eyes narrowed on her son. That was unbecoming behavior of the Malfoy, and possible Black(though she doubted it, since Sirius was sitting right there and Dorea was his goddaughter and cousin) Heir. It looks like she would have to teach him some more lessons in etiquette.

~**He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.~**

"Dad's plan was working and the Weaslette was the reason behind it." Malfoy muttered to Parkinson, who giggled. The two of them were the only ones that had known what Lucius Malfoy had been planning, as Lord Parkinson had helped him plan it to begin with.

Madam Bones closed the book as dinner appeared on the tables. The Dursleys looked immensely disappointed as their meal turned out to be 5 bread crusts for each of them, but Dudley, on the other hand, was given a salad and some grilled fish. Before anyone could begin eating, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.

"The readings will continue after a week of classes so that each of you can catch up on what you had missed educationally wise this week and continue with what you were to learn next week as well." with that, Dumbledore sat down and began his meal. Madam Bones placed the marked book on top of the pile, watching curiously as a gold bubble appeared around the books. Now, no one would be able to read them without the rest of the people in this Hall being there to hear what was being read.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 13,040**

**Wow, not as long as I hoped it would be, but still pretty long. Hoped you guys like Dorea's dressing down of Sir Pratrick, and in case any of you were wondering, I came up with that one on the spot. I myself loved writing that part, I love the idea of Slytherin Harry, so my Slytherin Dorea will be brought up more and more in later books, especially the third book when Ron and Hermione are acting like total idiots and can't accept that both are in the wrong - Ron for letting Scabbers stay on his own when he knew that Crookshanks was after his pet, and Hermione for doing nothing to stop Crookshanks from hunting Scabbers. Honestly? That part pissed me off more than Ron abandoning Harry in the fourth book. I mean, Ron it a total idiot that doesn't seem to realize that he actually has to listen to what others say in order to understand what's going one. Dorea's reaction to that is my own for the story part, in case you were wondering.**

**Review Count: 938**

***spits out water* Holy crap, guys! You all went above and beyond what I was hoping for! Big time! I love you all to bits, you know that, right? Except the flamers. Flamers can go and drown their flames for all I care.**

**Review Goal: 990**

**Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I honestly won't be surprised if my review count reaches over 1000 review this chapter.**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**I know you guys can hit this one easily! So please tell me what you think about this chapter! And once again I apologize for the late update, but I couldn't focus on this when I knew I had major project due!**


	30. Interlude 5

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Alright, first I'd like to share my opinion on this - the caramel frappuccino at Starbucks is really good, but the vanilla ice cap at Tim Horton's is waaaaaaaaay better! That may just be my Canadian raising screaming in pride, but those ice caps (_especially_ the supreme's - _yummy_!) are the best! And a note to all my readers - DOREA AND BILL WILL BE GETTING TOGETHER NEXT CHAPTER! FINALLY! Yeah, I was kinda starting to annoy myself with all the dancing around each other crap - so I'll let all of you guess who will be the one to make the first move! First person the guess the right person gets to guest-star in my Character Interview, which will take place at the end of the next chapter! (Totally making this up on the spot thanks to the frappuccino here, but since I wrote it down I'm sticking to it! ... And I'll probably end up shooting myself afterword! :D) Oh, and getting a nosebleed when you have a cold sucks. Hard.**

**Ooh, and before I forget, someone asked me about theangelsbleedinblood - or was it theanglescryinblood? I think it was the former, though now that I think about it, it might have been the latter - that is her username. *blushes tomato red* Alright, I just checked, and I apologize for the mistake, it really is theangelscryinblood. I'm really sorry guys, I was half asleep when I wrote that one bit last chapter... *blushes* I really gotta stop doing that... But then again, I was just about to take a nap when I wrote that... But I really am sorry! Like, 1000x so!**

**Also, I'd like to thank Shadow Phoenix 16 for Dorea's song and for the first of Michaela's songs, and I'd like to thank AbigalPaine for Michaela's second song :)**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: Please, he didn't barge in - he swaggered in. Either that or he strutted, you make your choice. Dumbledore will react, in this interlude, which is why he remained completely silent during the revealing of Dorea's torture. Bwahahaha, Dumbledore will also have a Slytherin side(which he probably was forced to create in the Grindelwald War at the latest, seeing as how he was going up against his best friend and possible lover here), and his revenge will be quite the blend of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Dumbledore will be getting rid of Filch, especially in the fifth book when Filch wants to whip the Weasley Twins right before they leave the castle. Seeing as how that means that he would be more than willing to injure the students when corporal punishment is illegal, Dumbledore won't stand up for Filch any longer and it's BYE BYE SQUIB! I'm trying really hard not to sound really really rude here, but there's no other way to describe Filch in one word that fits that rhythm. And he's the horrible type of Squib that deserves to be whipped the way that he wants to whip the students, just like how Arabella is gonna be arrested for Negligence for Dorea, considering how she could tell that Dorea was being abused and did nothing to stop it. Well, considering that I had the ghosts be there for Dorea when she needed them the most, I decided she would be there for Nick when he needed her to be there for him, as well as how she, Myrtle, and Peeves actually get along just fine. Even in the canon Myrtle had a complex character, she was the girl that was killed because she was bullied when she was alive and wanted revenge, so she became a ghost and haunted the person that led her to her death, but she was sent to haunt Hogwarts after the girl hired someone who was a professional with ghosts. And of course I made Moody's thought process awesome, because Moody himself would definitely start thinking like that from the moment the monster was mentioned - only he won't think of a basilisk, he'll think of a rare cross between a basilisk and something else instead, considering that Slytherin seems like the kind of guy that would go for the rarest of the rare in the selection of serpents that he had access to. Narcissa seems to be more family oriented than any other pureblood in the canon, so she'll end up being pretty cool with Dorea and everything, especially when she finds out why Dorea rejects her son. If the Malfoys do have a screaming match, it'll be in private with wards up to prevent anyone from hearing what they're screaming about.**

**Aida Ines Zenoba: Well, let's see - every teenage girl has an inner pervert, how much they let that pervert out is up to them. As for me - I let mine out when it comes to admiring yaoi couples. *stuffs kleenex in nose to stop nosebleed* Well of course they'we cwute togethew, it's Biww and Dowea! Naomi and Dorea will become good friends, especially after Dorea finds out that Naomi is a necromancer, mainly because of her interest in the subject. Her parents may visit, I'm not sure as to if they will yet... Her father is definitely more likely to, though! Dan is also raised in the 21st-ish century, where blind prejudice like his is almost intolerable and most people wouldn't hire him because of it. Yes, Dumbledore does indeed rock, he's so insane and cute in a grandfatherly way it isn't even funny :) Bwahahahahahah, and Umbitch has even more coming towards her, courtesy of the Marauders, Lily, and good old Dumbles! Lucius just may suffer Narcissa's wrath... *eviller cackle* Oh, and Abi told me about what Bitch Queen said - don't worry, I sent her a list of the things she would need for an electric chair *evil grin* Bitch Queen won't know what's coming for her... I'LL MAKE MY WAY TO CALI IF I HAVE TO IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT BITCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH AWESOME PEOPLE! RAWR! And don't let that bitch get you down - just think of her like Parkinson. Stuck up, fake, jealous, and mentally backwards as hell!**

**ladyivory01: Hmmm... Maybe at the end of the second book... Though I'm thinking about bringing in their portraits instead. Narcissa will probably end up joining the Circle after the chapter in the graveyard is read, I don't see her as the kind of woman that would stand to the side and let her husband get away with mocking a teenage girl that's being tortured for denying Lord Moldeyshorts what he wants. I can already tell you this - Dudley won't be getting together with any of the people at the readings, simply because even though he may be maturing, they've still heard about what an abusive bully he was as a child and have made up their minds about him from that. They've seen him at his worst and, so far, at his best, and they still don't really like him. I'm sorry, but no matter how much maturing he does, it doesn't change the fact that he beat a girl (which is totally against the unwritten rules of the schoolyard, you never hit a girl). I'm thinking about having some House Elves join the readings, but if I do it'll be much later in the books when I don't want to have someone read a second time, but it'll probably just be Winky.**

**19811945: Heh, that'll be a lot of fun to write, especially since the basilisk attacked a ghost as well as a muggleborn, meaning it could hardly care if someone that wasn't of muggle descent was attacked with a muggleborn, meaning that Draco could have been put in danger. Narcissa doesn't seem like the kind of person that would tear him limb from limb for using the word, more likely she'll scold his ear off for saying that word in public and ruining the Malfoy appearance, oh, as well as acting as Gryffindor as possible while doing it. Thanks for that opinion! I'm hyped up on caffeine as I'm writing this, so I'll probably get a bunch of this interlude done in one go!**

**there. is. always. a. rainbow: No, Narcissa isn't completely evil, she's just a Slytherin. Well, Dorea hides her inner pervert because if she didn't she would probably lose control and attempt to... Ahem, _shag_ Bill where he's standing. Well, Dorea will be getting more in touch with her Slytherin side through this book, the fourth book, the fifth book, the sixth book, and most of the seventh book, mainly because it's for her survival, especially in the fourth and seventh books. Dorea-Sirius interaction will be mostly throughout the third book, because that's when Dorea will keep apologizing to Sirius and trying to cuddle with him to keep herself from crying at how she once saw her godfather. Sirius is just plain awesomeness, there is no getting around that fact :D Thank you, and don't worry, if they're anonymous flames then I don't really pay attention to them, seeing as how they aren't courageous enough to use their actual username and actually pick a fight with me.**

**Dark Shadow Of Flame: Yeah, I can totally understand that point of view, but let's be real here - the review goal is usually hit within three days of my updating, and it is impossible for me to not only type out the new chapter but to also moderate all reviews and keep up with my school work all in that time span. It usually takes me a few days on its own to type out the chapter itself, then there are the review replies, and the fact that I had two major assignments due on the same day in less than a week and I was stressed as hell. Add in that I have the cold of the century that just won't go away and my stress levels are at an all time high, and stress = no updates on my stories. I never once mentioned that I wouldn't update if the goal wasn't hit, the earlier chapters when the goals were simply 10 reviews apart I've updated when the goal wasn't hit in the slightest. I just don't get how they can think that I'm holding the story hostage with those factors coming into play. *shrugs* I guess they don't have exams coming up and aren't stressed like I am, seeing as how my Cooking ISU was like, 1001 questions and my History ISU was an essay on a person that I've barely ever heard about and was the person that sounded the easiest to write - TOO BAD SHE WAS FROM OVER 200 YEARS AGO AND ALL INFORMATION ON HER, NO MATTER WHAT WEBSITE IT WAS ON, WAS THE EXACT SAME! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! *hides in emo corner* I really think I bombed that ISU... Not cool...**

**MistBlade8: OVER 1000 BABY! WOOHOOO! *parties* And of those reviews only 2 were flames - is that some sort of record? Honestly, I'm thinking about having Dorea think to herself in the third book about whether being Ron and Hermione's friend was actually worth it, especially considering how cold Hermione was being towards the idea of Crookshanks eating Scabbers - I mean, if my cat ate someone's pet rat, especially my friend's pet rat, I'd feel horrible, but Hermione didn't seem to care! I mean, Hogwarts is a freakin' castle, meaning that there has to be rats somewhere in it! So why couldn't Hermione just accept that it was odd that Crookshanks was only going after Scabbers? Oh, you forgot in the fourth book as well, Myrtle was mentioned there. But it still annoyed me to no end! James tried to, but Dorea held him back from cursing that toad. Instead, he, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Dumbledore will be getting back at her, Marauder Style. *frowns* That's not cool. You're a regular reviewer and someone that I see as a friend, and no one gets to pick on my friends and get away with it! *grabs loaded gun* Do I have to come over there and teach those bullies a lesson? I'm already planning a tri[ to California to get payback for Aida, so...**

**bloomnskyrules: Why thank you! I actually had a lot of fun typing out that chapter, especially Dorea dressing down Podomore! The ending will be hilarious, but Lucius already knows that Voldemort is a halfblood due to the graveyard - I guess that he sees it that since Voldemort is a descendant of Slytherin, that puts him above any other halfblood and equal to a pureblood. Molly started on Dorea because she's finally noticing that Dorea isn't all perfect like everyone thinks she is, she's actually human and makes mistakes, is rude, has anger management problems, and isn't even emotionally balanced because of the abuse she faced as a child. Don't worry, when Molly tries to scold her for being rude later it'll be Lily that reminds Molly that Dorea is her daughter, and that she is proud of Dorea to standing up for herself the way that she did. Yes, Umbridge got arrested! *joins you in happy dance* I'm thinking about havin Dumbledore hire either Sirius (because his trial is in this interlude) or bring back Remus to teach DADA. Yes, we will read about Dorea caging up her perverted side, probably during a GGN meeting. Ah, but she did see Bill's reflection in the Mirror of Erised and the photo of the Weasley family from the Daily Prophet, so she knew what he looked like by then. Fleur? *chuckles darkly* Oh, I just might kill her off because of this... Considering that if she doesn't back off from Bill she'll lose her magic, due to the wording of the Magical Contract... Yes, I will explain more about SoulMates when Lily slips up, and yes, their souls are beginning to form bonds that will become finalized once they marry or are Bonded, whichever come first. Nno, Lucius and Draco have no idea that she's the Black Heir, only Narcissa does because she knows that Sirius, being the last male of the Black Family, was named Head in his father's will (I'm assuming his father passed away soon after Regulus disappeared) and doesn't seem like the kind of man that will have children, making Dorea his Heiress, especially if he Blood Adopts her (wink wink nudge nudge). Hmmmmm... Actually, the only other one that I can find is _If you listen you may find love_ by merdarkandtwisty, so that must mean that femHarry/Charlie is a lot more popular... So that makes a total of two that I can find on this site, including my own! And thank you, I'll need it, considering that I can't study for my life!**

**Laura-Shi: Why thank you! I find that JKR neglected the Slytherin side that we all know that Harry has, and since girls mature faster than boys Dorea would see her Slytherin side as an asset rather than something that would kill her, especially considering that she had Piers practically stalking her and trying to make her love him. Alright, I'll be honest - I find that all the older Death Nibbler thoughts resemble each other. As for the diary incident - of course he'll be pissed, especially when Moody suggests that they use Veritaserum on him to find out if he really was the leading cause behind the attacks on the school or not. Narcissa would be more likely to put Draco in his place for acting the way he did in public - he can act however he wants when no one is watching, but it's very unbecoming of the Malfoy Heir to act the way that he did in public like that. Hermione is very closed minded, and I find that's by far the most unattractive trait about her. I'm sorry, but if I were her friend and she were making fun of Luna because of her beliefs I would leave her because I cannot be friends with someone who bullies others for such stupid reasons. It'll be really interesting to see everyone's faces when they realize that Dorea was only trying to protect Justin, not attack him like they automatically assumed she was. That's one thing I hate about the wizarding world - they can never get over their prejudices. At least in the muggle world not everyone hates Germans because of Hitler anymore! I mean, that's like blaming someone for their great-great grandfather's mistakes, completely wrong and immoral. Especially considering that the people more prejudiced against her are purebloods, people who know that family titles can be won by conquest! I mean - GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!*tears out some hair* IT'S JUST SO BACKWARDS IT'S FRUSTRATING! ... Sorry if I started ranting on you, it's just that I can talk about what's wrong with the magical society for days on end and not get tired of it.**

**InsanityUnleashed: First off, that name is epic. I love it. Second, the part with Dorea caring about the ghosts makes sense to me - she cares about magical creatures as though they were human, so why not people who were once human as well? Second, no, I don't get a bunch of flames. So far I've only gotten two flames out of over 1000, so I say that's pretty good for a story. *blushes* Why thank you! Trust me, I need the ego stroking - my self-esteem in barely in existence as it is. Though that may contribute to being ignored and forgotten all the time... Hope the update came soon enough for you! :)**

**Julespark: Hmmmmm... Maybe... But they probably won't, I don't want to overload the Hall with people that just pop in, I'm thinking about maybe adding in Slughorn and Winky and that's about it... The reason she doesn't get cold or hungry around the ghosts is because her magic has adapted to being around the ghosts, so their presence doesn't really bother her anymore. EXACTLY! And to make matters worse, I plan on having Sirius, the man-child, be the one yelling at them for their behavior. Someone all three look up to as a role model because of how he was willing to break out of an "unbreakable" prison just to keep his goddaughter safe. Thanks, I really appreciate that! I pride myself on making the reactions as believable and human as possible, seeing as how I picture my story as a sort of gateway to making the world as realistic for my readers as possible. Thanks, I love (fem)Hharry/Bill pairings, they are just so cute!**

**DarkestRevelation: Thank you, I try to make my characters as human as possible! Yes, this is mainly a bashing story, but it'll have everyone bashing in it. The main ones are the bashings that are listed above, but there is everyone bashing in here, including Dorea/Harry bashing as well. *blushes* My beta was too busy to edit the story so I was kinda forced to update and edit it on my own... Sorry if it bothered you... I really am...**

**Dan Burns: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA SIERRA THAT TOTALLY MADE MY DAY! To all of you curious as to what she wrote, just go look at the review - TOTAL EDWARD CULLEN THERE! XD I was sitting next to her in the hallway at school when she sent that review, I even approved of it before she sent it! In response - My dearest Dan *bursts out laughing* _I CAN'T DO IT_! I only wrote that and I'm already cracking up! For those who don't know, Dan and I have a brother/sister love/hate relationship - he loves me like a sister and hates me like a sister. That's all there is, totally platonic. Dating him would be like dating a cousin, and that's just gross. In some cultures it's alright, but I was raised to find it gross and wrong, no offence to anyone from one of those cultures.**

**~O~O~O~**

After dinner, Dorea had stayed behind in the Great Hall to talk to the ghosts about her position as Hogwarts' Champion. As it turned out, the position basically gave her control of the school if the Headmaster or Headmistress was out, she had to stay and protect the school if it was attacked, and if someone challenged her to the position (Dorea had been shocked to find out that people could do that - then was annoyed when it turned out that the ghosts had placed bets on who would be the first to challenge her) then she was allowed to do whatever she pleased to them if she won the duel, only as long as the duel took place either inside the school or on the school grounds. Other duties were to ensure that none of the students were intentionally injured by any of the professors or brutally attacked by another student or group of students. It appeared that even the Founders knew that the Houses would never truly get along and that there would be constant fighting between the Houses and even within them.

She had been heading back to the Gryffindor Common Room when something tackled her from behind, pinning her between the thing and a wall. Dorea struggled for a moment, trying to figure out what to do since her arms were pinned above her head with a grip that could break bones when she finally opened her eyes to see her attacker. To her surprise, or really not when she thought about it, her attacker was Draco Malfoy. He was breathing heavily, as though he had just ran a marathon. Considering that she was on the fifth floor, he might as well have.

"Wh-What the bloody hell do you think you're do?! Let go of me, Ferret-boy!" she screamed, only for Malfoy to clamp a hand over her mouth.

"Screaming at me won't get you anywhere, you know. Besides, we're the only ones in this corridor. There's no ghosts, suits of armour, or portraits that can interrupt our talk." he whispered, his heart pounding its way up to his throat. _This was it,_ he thought. _I'm... I'm finally going to tell her how I feel! _He slowly brought his hand away from Dorea's mouth so that she could talk to him as well.

"_Talk_? That's all you want to do, is _talk_? Is that why you attacked me from behind? Oh, like I'll believe that with our track record. Let's see, there was in Madam Malkins when you insulted my first friend that I wasn't afraid to call my friend because Dudley wouldn't try to kill him, then on the train you insulted one of the only families that had ever been nice to me without any reasons other than to be nice, then again on the train when you tried to help yourself to food that I bought for myself and my friend, then when you set me up in flying class back in first year to try and get me in trouble, then you tried to get me in more trouble by siccing Filch on me at midnight, then you tell McGonagall about Norberta which only got me in more trouble when Filch caught Hermione and I, then there was the whole thing about you bullying my friend not only in class but also in the Forbidden Forest, where we were all dying to get out of. Then there was second year, where you called my best friend and surrogate sister that filthy word, cast that snake at me during the duel that Snape arranged, and started strutting around like you owned the place because your pathetic daddy was one of the Governers. Let's move onto third year, where you make fun of me for something that no one should be made fun of, then tried to get Hagrid fired by completely ignoring what he told us about hippogriff and ended up getting attack by Buckbeak, then you complain to daddy and try to get Buckbeak executed, oh, and let's not forget that you tried to sabotage me during that one Quidditch match. That's only the first three years that we've known each other for, Malfoy, and that's only the stuff that I can name off the top of my head. We don't have the greatest track record, so excuse me for being a little doubtful that you only want to _talk_ to me." Dorea spat, glaring up at Malfoy's grey eyes. Unlike Sirius', they weren't the trademark silver Black eyes, they were just like his father's eyes, cold, caring, confused - wait, _what_?

Taking a closer look at Malfoy said one thing to Dorea - schoolboy. Not Death Eater, not Death Eater in training, just schoolboy. The confused look in his eye as Dorea began to calm slightly was completely different from something she would expect from the boy that looked so much like his father, instead, it was more of an expression that Dorea would expect from Sirius, a look that reminded her of the look of confused joy that had been in Sirius' face when Dorea accepted his offer to live with him back at the end of her third year. The caring was something that Dorea was unfamiliar with, after all, this was Malfoy, the boy that was her sworn rival ever since she was Sorted into Gryffindor. _You were almost in the same House as he was_, her mind betrayed her. _Perhaps he isn't as bad as he makes himself appear - after all, Zabini, Nott, and the Greengrass sisters are in Slytherin as well and they aren't evil... Just misunderstood..._

Malfoy must have been able to read her thoughts, either that or they were displayed on her face like an open book, because he started rambling about how he was sorry and he didn't know better and that he wanted to start over like Dorea had with the other Slytherins in the Circle and blah blah blah blah blah.

" - And I really don't know how to act around people and I'm sorry and -" Dorea cut him off with a sigh.

"I tuned you out almost a minute ago. Start by getting straight to the point, alright?" she asked. Malfoy nodded slowly, not noticing Dorea's discomfort as she struggled to get her hands free. She hated being restrained, it reminded her of all the times that she was been held captive by Voldemort.

"Listen, I learned all my behavior from my father, alright? He doesn't know how to show affection or anything, and I could never really ask mum about that sort of stuff either, so... I wanted to say... I don't hate you, I... I think... I think that..." he mumbled the last part so low that Dorea couldn't hear it. She jutted her chin out a little, staring at the boy in front of her in confusion.

"... I'm sorry, I didn't get that last part. What did you say?" she asked, eyes squinted in confusion. Malfoy gulped, a bead of nervous sweat running down the side of his face.

"I said... That I... That I think that I l- l-" he began to fumble over the one, silly word. Dammit, how hard was this going to be for him? He was a Malfoy, it should be easy! "That I l-lo-lov-lov-love y-y-y-y-you..." he muttered, his face burning a bright pink as he imagined Dorea's responce.

_Her eyes widened in shock at the confession. It was completely unexpected; they had been fighting over the most ridiculous reasons for years, after all. But, then again, wasn't there a saying that when boys like a girl they bully her, or something like that? Or was that just for young boys? Mal- no, Draco had said that his father wasn't good at showing affection either, and that he learned his behavior from him... Could it possibly be that Narcissa Malfoy had put up with the same sort of treatment from her husband as she did from Draco? _

_A blush dusted Dorea's face as she observed the Malfoy Heir in front of him, he was quite handsome - his features were sharp, like all pureblood features, but there was a hidden softness to them that kept them from the nearly jagged features that many in their year had. His grey eyes had silver lines that could only be associated with the powerful Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. His platinum blond hair was slicked back in an aristocratic manner, but that didn't stop one of two stray hairs from coming down into his face._

_"I... I think... That I love you two..." she whispered. Draco's face lit up like a Christmas tree in New York City as he slowly leaned forward to kiss those perfect lips..._

"No." That one word tore apart Malfoy's fantasy as he stared at Dorea. "No, I... I can't believe you. How do I know that you aren't just getting close to me to try and humiliate me, or to try and break me? I'm sorry, but I refuse to accept your confession." Malfoy could all but feel his heart shattering into a thousand pieces as he looked into Dorea's emerald eyes and saw that she was telling the truth. The rejection caused pure rage to boil up inside him, and Malfoy gripped Dorea's wrists tighter, holding them higher than before as though to keep her from getting any footing on the ground.

"Sorry, Potter," he growled, leaning in to whisper in Doera's ear. "But that was the wrong answer..." With his free hand Malfoy grabbed Dorea's chin and forced it up so as to be equal with his own. Dorea's eyes widened and she struggled more than ever to break free of the Malfoy Heir, to no avail. As Malfoy leaned in to kiss Dorea, she couldn't stop the tears from running down her face.

_I didn't want my first kiss to be with him... _was all she could think as Malfoy leaned in closer. _Someone... Please... Help me... _

The moment that Dorea thought that, Malfoy was thrown off of her by someone else. Dorea collapsed on the floor, rubbing her sore and bruising wrists where Malfoy had nearly broken them. Looking up, she could see Bill about to murder Malfoy where he stood, beating the 15 year old boy senseless.

The two were screaming at each other, but Dorea couldn't make out what they were saying through the heavy beating of her frantic heart. Merlin, is she didn't calm down then they would probably be able to hear her heart from where they were! Slowly, Dorea began to stand, her legs shaking. She had never been so scared in her life, not when Voldemort had captured her in the graveyard, not when Quirrell was trying to kill her, not when she was face to face with Moony, and most certainly not when she was going up against the basilisk.

After several minutes that felt like ages to Dorea, Malfoy managed to escape from Bill and fled like the coward that he was. Bill shouted out after Malfoy, probably warning him that there was more where beating like that waiting for him if he tried to touch Dorea again, and turned to the shaking and crying girl. Bill smiled and held his arms out to her, not at all surprised when Dorea flung herself into his arm. Even though she was so brave and so strong, every person has their breaking point. Umbridge had just been arrested and they had read about how Doera would willingly choose Myrtle over Hermione, not to mention everything they had read in the past five days. The stress would have built up until it got to the point where Dorea would let her guard down so as to try and lower her stress levels, only for Malfoy to come along and make her feel like a weak little girl all over again.

He ran his fingers through her hair and whispered soothing words in her ear, smiling as Dorea's shaking slowly stopped and the tears stopped flowing from her eyes. He could hear her talking, her speech broken up as sobs and terror wiggled their way through her, saying that she had been so scared and how thankful she was that Bill had showed up. After close to twenty minutes of the two of them standing there in that embrace, Dorea had finally calmed down enough to cast a mild glamour over her eyes to hide the redness and the two made their way back to the Common Room, Bill's arm around Dorea the entire time. When they were one corridor away from the Common Room, Dorea paused and smiled up at Bill.

"Thanks again, Bill..." she whispered, unconsciously snuggling up to his side. Bill smiled as he looked down on Dorea, and wrapped her in a warm hug.

"There's no need to thank me, sweety... I'm always going to be there to protect you..." he whispered as he kissed her hair. The two stood there for what felt like hours before they continued on their way to the Common Room, hand in hand.

**~O~O~O~ IN UMBRIDGE'S OFFICE ~O~O~O~**

Things could not have been worse for Umbridge. First off, it looks like the Potter bratlette hadn't been lying to begin with, meaning that her detention sessions with the girl were completely pointless - well, there was a point to them, and that now appeared to be that the Lady Potter would never trust a Ministry official that she doesn't personally know ever again. Second off, she had been arrested because the oldest Weasley brat had discovered what her detention sessions with the bratlette had been about. Finally, she almost hadn't been able to enter her own office because Hogwarts - here she scoffed, as if a building could possibly have the ability to do this, it was clearly a student - had been barred from her office as well as her classroom. After waiting outside of her classroom for a good hour and a half, Umbridge finally managed to open the door. Once in, she shrieked in pure terror.

All over the room there were bowtruckles, some sort of black puff balls, pixies, and doxies covering every surface of the classroom and practically running each other over in the air. The decorations that she had set up in the classroom had long been destroyed, and Umbridge couldn't help but worry for her office if this was the state of her classroom. Dodging some pixies that were throwing some sort of coloured balls at everything in sight (imagine Umbridge's shock to discover than, when those balls hit something they exploded with paint coming out - where did those filthy creatures get such horrible items?)

It was her office, however, that caused Umbridge to lose all consciousness. The once "beautifully" (read = disgustingly) pink walls were now a deep red that had a copper stench wafting from them, the kitten knick-knacks that had been hanging on her walls were all smashed on the floor, her fireplace was lit and burning brightly from something that Umbridge really didn't want to know what but it smelt absolutely disgusting, and on her desk, which appeared as though it had just gone through a tornado, was a single message.

_This is what you get for torturing Dorea._

Down the corridor from the DADA classroom, the Marauders, Dumbledore, and Lily were all standing, waiting to hear Umbridge's reaction to what they did to her classroom and office. They only heard a shriek and a loud thump, causing them to believe that she had fainted from shock. Lily looked at Dumbledore, who was the one who pulled the prank on Umbitch's office.

"What did you do?" she asked curiously. Dumbledore let out a very nasty smirk that reminded the four adults in front of him as to how Dorea appeared when she had Branded Vernon Dursley. Merlin that look was terrifying...

"I placed a Nightmare Ward on her office door, whenever she enters her office she will see, hear, and smell the worst possible thing she could imagine it to be. But," he looked around the corner and at the open classroom door that was letting out doxies and pixies. "I do wonder if she found the dragon and centaur dung that I left in her drawers."

**~O~O~O~ LATER THAT NIGHT - THE GREAT HALL ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was sitting in the corner, grumbling as she watched people all across the dance floor dancing. Tonight, Bill refused to step onto the floor because of what happened last time he did so. (Dorea thought it was because he didn't want to dance with Fleur again, in reality it was because he didn't want Dorea to dance with Blaise the way she had again.) Instead, Bill was helping set up the stage and karaoke machine for yet another karaoke night. Dorea watched as Michaela and Charlie looked to be taking bets of sorts, seeing as they were both leaning over a piece of parchment and scratching something out on it with a quill.

It took a while for them to set up the stage (apparently Fleur had kept trying to flirt with Bill the entire time, and it got to the point where Lily had kicked her out of the Great Hall - it was official, Dorea had the most kickass mother of all time), but when it was finally done Charlie, of all people, was the person to step up on it and became the MC. Tonight, the line for karaoke was much longer

"Alright everyone, it's Karaoke Night #2! I'm Charlie Weasley, and the only reason I'm MCing tonight is because Sirius is busy at his trial and can't do it right now!" Cheers as well as a few pockets of laughter sounded through the Hall as Charlie paused, looks like people were really excited for Karaoke night. Considering how well the last one went, it was bound to be popular. Looking at the card that appeared out of nowhere, Charlie grinned and turned back to the crowd. "First off we have Dorea Potter singing Girl Fight by Brooke Valentine! Give the lovely Lady a round of applause everybody!" With that, Dorea walked onto the stage and took the mic from Charlie, who jumped off the stage. She smiled at the loud cheers that she was getting, glad to know that people liked her singing voice. She was taking a risk here, singing without being forced to. Looking up, she saw Fleur sneaking back in as the music began. It was time to show that witch just who she was messing with. Dorea had specifically edited the song to cut out all the male vocals so that she could sing it on her own.

**::We bout to throw dem bows  
We bout to swang dem thangs**

**There's about to be a what? Girlfight!**

**There she go talkin' her mess  
All around town makin' me stress  
I need to get this off my chest  
And if her friend want some then she'll be next::**

Fleur glared up at Dorea. So that was how she wanted to play, was it? Threatening her through a song? How pathetic.

She absolutely refused to admit that the small ravenette terrified her.

**::It really ain't that complicated  
Y'all walking round looking all frustrated  
Want some plex come on let's make it  
Ya acting real hard but I know ya fakin'::**

Dan couldn't help but grin. He had been the one to help Dorea find and edit this song just so that she could sing it today. Fleur Delacour was in for a rude awakening.

**::Know you really don't wanna step to dis  
Really don't know why you talkin' shit  
You 'bout to catch one right in the lip  
It's about to be a what? Girlfight!::**

Bill couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Why the hell was Dorea singing a song like this - unless there was someone that she saw as a threat? But who the hell could be a threat to her? She was beautiful, strong, smart, daring, courageous... _Damn_ he had fallen _hard_.

**::We bout to throw dem bows  
We bout to swang dem thangs**

**It's about to be a what? Girlfight!::**

Lily grinned at her daughter from the corner of the room. That was her baby girl up there, through and through. The kind of girl that won't stand that Veela slut trying to steal her man.

**::We on our way to ya neighborhood  
The reason why we comin' is understood  
Me and my girls we down to ride  
So when you hear us pull up bring ya butt outside  
And if you try to call ya cousin and nem  
Don't forget that I got some of dem  
'Bout to go real hard 'bout to swang dem thangs  
'Bout to feel elbows all in ya brain::**

Those who had never seen a girlfight before blinked. Were they always so... Violent?

**::Know you really don't wanna step to dis  
Really don't know why you talkin' shit  
You 'bout to catch one right in the lip  
It's about to be a what? Girlfight!**

**We bout to throw dem bows**  
**We bout to swang dem thangs**  
**It's 'bout to be a what? Girlfight!**

**Oh! I know you don't want me to split yo dome!**  
**Girl you makin me really mad...**  
**Oh! I know you don't want me to split yo dome!**  
**I'm about to bruise ya face and it's sad...::**

Michaela couldn't help but smile from her spot in line. Dorea was finally standing up for herself to Fleur, it was about time.

**:: We bout to throw dem bows  
We bout to swang dem thangs**

**It's about to be a what? ...Girlfight!**

**Don't act like you don't know**  
**We right outside yo door**  
**See you peekin' out the window**  
**I know you ain't talking noise no more**

**Bitch come outside**  
**Don't act like you don't see me**  
**I know you heard me pullin' up uh**  
**Come outside, uh, come outside, uh**  
**We down to ride**  
**It's about to be a... Girlfight!::**

Dorea finished the song with a smirk on her face as the crowd cheered. The entire time her eyes had never left Fleur's, and she could see each and every single emotion in her eyes. Anger. Hatred. Jealousy. And finally, _fear_. She had the quarter Veela just where she wanted her.

As she walked off the stage, she handed the mic back to Charlie, who was making his way back on while applauding Dorea as well. He made his way back to the center of the stage, where he introduced several more people before he got to the next person that attracted his full attention.

"Next up we have Remus Lupin singing Steady, As She Goes by The Raconteurs." he said, blinking at the card. Just quietly enough to be said to the side, but loud enough for everyone to hear, he said "I didn't know Remus could sing..." Laughter filled the air as the scarred werewolf walked up onto the stage, earning massive amounts of cheers from the female population at Hogwarts. Faintly, Remus could see Tonks' hair turn a bright red at the wolf whistles and cat calls that he was getting. He could have sworn he heard James scream at him to "Get some".

The music started and everyone fell silent, listening to the man in front of them sing.

**:: Find yourself a girl, and settle down  
Live a simple life in a quiet town**

**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**So steady as she goes**

**Your friends have shown a kink in the single life**  
**You've had too much to think, now you need a wife::**

Tonks smiled and looked up at Remus. She would love to be his wife, he was everything that she was looking for in a man...

**:: Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)  
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)  
Well here we go again, you've found yourself a friend, that knows you well  
But no matter what you do, you'll always feel as though you tripped and fell::**

James' eyes narrowed as he looked up at his friend. Remus shouldn't have to feel like that, especially because of his furry little problem.

**::So steady as she goes**

**When you have completed what you thought you had to do**  
**And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue**

**Then you'll get along**  
**Then you'll get along**

**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**Well here we go again, you've found yourself a friend that knows you well**  
**But no matter what you do, it always feels as though you tripped and fell**  
**So steady as she goes**  
**Steady as she goes**

**Settle for a girl neither up or down**  
**Sell it to the crowd that's gathered round**  
**Settle for a girl neither up or down**  
**Sell it to the crowd that's gathered round::**

The audience began to dance a little to the song, it was an older song but it was really good.

**::So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**  
**So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)**

**Steady as she goes**  
**Are you steady now?**  
**Steady as she goes**  
**Are you steady now?**  
**Steady as she goes**  
**Are you steady now?**  
**Steady as she goes**  
**Are you steady now?**  
**Steady as she goes::**

Remus finished the song and let out a sigh. The female population at Hogwarts was going wild, and that would all change when they all found out that he was a werewolf. Charlie hopped back onto the stage and cheered with the rest of the Hall, grinning broadly as he took the mic from Remus.

"Well well well, looks like the old man can sing after all!" For that comment, Charlie was whacked over the head by the now irritated werewolf.

"Sirius told you to annoy me in his stead, didn't he?" he asked, the mic picking up his question. "It's the only reason I can think of that you're acting like him right now." Charlie could only chuckled and scratch the back of his head.

"Oh, wow, was it really that obvious?" he asked, chuckling nervously as he slowly backed away from the angered werewolf. "Ah, don't kill me! I still have to MC for the rest of the night!" That defence was the only reason that Remus didn't attack Charlie then and there, although if someone were to pay attention to the brooding werewolf then they would have heard him planning out a prank to play on his old friend.

Around 4 more people went before Charlie gained the most silly grin on his face from when he looked at the card the karaoke machine provided.

"Well, this next one is a special turn - she lost a bet to me, so she's singing 2 songs tonight. Give it up for Michaela, first singing Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy by Tata Young, followed by Impossible by Shontelle!" he announced. Dorea and Sierra had fallen over in laughter at the first song that Michaela would be singing, that was definitely the song that she had to sing because she lost the bet. Molly, on the other hand, looked horrified at the title of the song. She knew that Michaela was bad news for her Charlie, and this song plus her outfit for tonight just proved her right. Especially for this song, Michaela was wearing a black leather micro miniskirt with fishnet tights, a red tank top, a black leather jacket, and red stilettos. Cat was busy wondering where in the name of Buddha she had gotten that outfit when the music started up and Michaela began singing.

**::****I pick all my skirts to be a little too sexy  
Just like all of my thoughts they always get a bit naughty  
When I'm out with my girls I always play a bit bitchy  
Can't change the way I am sexy naughty bitchy me::**

Dante was busy dying of laughter while Dan was choking on his drink. Yeah, that was definitely Michaela, all in one. Well, except for the skirts part. She always preferred shorts to skirts, thought no one knew why.

**::****I'm the kind of girl that girls don't like  
I'm the kind that boys fantasize  
I'm the kind that your momma and your daddy were afraid you'd turn out to be like  
I may seem unapproachable but that's only to the boys who don't have the  
Right approach or ride that makes a girl like me wanna hop in and roll**

People think it's intimidating when a girl is cool with her sexuality I'm a 180 to the stereotype girls like staying home and being innocent::

_And this_, Molly decided, _was exactly why Michaela was the exact opposite girl that Charlie deserved._ He deserved a girl that would make him want to stay at home and take care of his family, not this... This girl that looked as though she slept with every man she met.

**::****I pick all my skirts to be a little too sexy  
Just like all of my thoughts they always get a bit naughty  
When I'm out with my girls I always play a bit bitchy  
Can't change the way I am sexy naughty bitchy me**

**My mouth never takes a holiday  
I always shock with the things I say  
I was always the kid in school who turned up to each class bout an hour late and when it came to the guys I'd lay, I'd always pick the ones who won't figure out that I am clearly a rebel to the idea of monogamy**

People think it's intimidating when a girl is cool with her sexuality I'm a 180 to the stereotype girls like staying home and being innocent::

Charlie couldn't help but grin as he watched Michaela subconsciously sway her hips as she walked around on the stage singing. She was exactly what he wanted in a girl, kind, caring, loves dragons, and opposed to the idea of simply settling down and having Charlie abandon his favourite thing in the world at the moment, his job.

**::****I pick all my skirts to be a little too sexy  
Just like all of my thoughts they always get a bit naughty  
When I'm out with my girls I always play a bit bitchy  
Can't change the way I am sexy naughty bitchy me**

**Sexy sexy sexy  
Naughty naughty naughty  
Bitchy bitchy bitchy  
Me**

**Sexy sexy sexy  
Naughty naughty naughty  
Bitchy bitchy bitchy  
Me**

**People think it's intimidating when a girl is cool with her sexuality I'm a 180 to the stereotype girls like staying home and being innocent**

**I pick all my skirts to be a little too sexy  
Just like all of my thoughts they always get a bit naughty  
When I'm out with my girls I always play a bit bitchy  
Can't change the way I am sexy naughty bitchy me**

**I like all of my shorts to be a little too shortly  
Unlike all of my guys I like them tall with money  
I love all of my nights to end a little bit nasty  
Can't change the way I am sexy naughty bitchy me**

**I pick my skirts to be sexy**  
**Just like my thoughts a bit naughty**  
**When I'm out with my girls ...bitchy**  
**Can't change the way I am**  
**Sexy naughty bitchy me::**

Michaela finished the song with a little pose and winking at the audience, earning about a thousand cat calls and wolf whistles from the male population, many of them ogling her. Dorea knew better, she saw what only Michaela and Charlie saw - Michaela was secretly terrified. She was shaking, not enough to be noticeable, but she was still shaking all the same. She knew that song was completely out of Michaela's element, she would have never thought about singing it if she hadn't lost that bet to Charlie. The song may suit her personality and she may like it, but she would never sing it willingly in public.

The music for the second song started up. The tune was completely different to the first song's upbeat, perky song. It was soft, almost gentle. It settled everyone down as Michaela began to sing.

**::****I remember years ago  
Someone told me I should take  
Caution when it comes to love  
I did, I did**

**And you were strong and I was not**  
**My illusion, my mistake**  
**I was careless, I forgot**  
**I did::**

Galandriel looked up at her granddaughter sadly. She didn't deserve the pain that she had gone through, especially at the hand of that cruel man.

**::****And now when all is done  
There is nothing to say  
You have gone and so effortlessly  
You have won  
You can go ahead tell them**

**Tell them all I know now**  
**Shout it from the roof tops**  
**Write it on the sky line**  
**All we had is gone now**

**Tell them I was happy**  
**And my heart is broken**  
**All my scars are open**  
**Tell them what I hoped would be**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible::**

Charlie looked up at Michaela, unshed tears in his eyes. Michaela was singing this song from the heart, the heart that had been shattered into a thousand pieces, barely pieced back together, only to be torn to shreds. She was singing the truth.

**::****Falling out of love is hard  
Falling for betrayal is worse  
Broken trust and broken hearts  
I know, I know**

**Thinking all you need is there**  
**Building faith on love and words**  
**Empty promises will wear**  
**I know, I know**

**And now when all is gone**  
**There is nothing to say**  
**And if you're done with embarrassing me**  
**On your own you can go ahead tell them::**

Arthur was looking up at Michaela in a new light. She may not dress herself like the proper lady that Molly wanted, but he could hear the difference between the songs that Michaela had just sung. The first one had a forced sound to it, this one sounded almost natural. Had Michaela gone through what this song is about...?

**::Tell them all I know now**  
**Shout it from the roof tops**  
**Write it on the sky line**  
**All we had is gone now**

**Tell them I was happy**  
**And my heart is broken**  
**All my scars are open**  
**Tell them what I hoped would be**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible**

**Impossible, impossible!  
Ooh impossible (yeah yeah)**

**I remember years ago**  
**Someone told me I should take**  
**Caution when it comes to love**  
**I did**

**Tell them all I know now**  
**Shout it from the roof tops**  
**Write it on the sky line**  
**All we had is gone now**

**Tell them I was happy**  
**And my heart is broken**  
**All my scars are open**  
**Tell them what I hoped would be**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible**  
**Impossible, impossible**

**I remember years ago**  
**Someone told me I should take**  
**Caution when it comes to love**  
**I did...::**

The audience erupted into cheers as Michaela let out a barely noticeable sigh. Charlie walked back on stage and gave Michaela a hug before stealing the mic back and sending her on her merry way. Dorea barely paid attention as Malfoy began singing some stupid love song and walked up to Michaela, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked in a low whisper. Michaela plastered a fake smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes at all.

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Why ya asking?" she asked. Dorea sent her friend a knowing look and Michaela sighed. "I... I hate singing songs like that one... I may like listening to them, but... They just..."

"Objectify women?" Dorea offered cheerfully. Michaela shook her head, though she did laugh.

"Remind me of... Never mind, I'll... I'll tell you later tonight." Michaela said, sliding up against the wall and sneaking her way out of the Hall. Charlie walked up to Dorea and looked around.

"Where'd Michaela go?" he asked. Dorea indicated toward the doors that led out of the Hall and Charlie just nodded. "Ah. Gotcha." Noticing that Malfoy's song was almost over, Charlie walked back to the edge of the stage, but not without a nervous look on his face. Had he pushed Michaela too far by making her sing that song?

After Malfoy performed and walked off stage, Charlie moved to enter stage for what felt like the trillionth time that night. This time, he grinned wickedly at the card that appeared in front of him, and Bill, who was singing next, felt chills run down his spine.

"Well, next up is my big brother Billy-Bear," Charlie dodged a hex for using that stupid nickname. "Singing Beside You by Marianas Trench! Cute song for a cute girl, right bro?" Charlie asked, only for Bill, who was standing next to him, to kick his shins hard. Charlie let out a yelp, chucked the mic at his brother, then hobbled off stage to nurse the bruises that would definitely develope because of that kick. Why had he introduced his brother to steel toed dragon hide boots again?

The slow music began and everyone grew silent to hear Bill sing. Fleur could feel her anger pulsing through her veins as Bill didn't even bother trying to look for her, he had his sights set on someone else entirely. She couldn't see who it was, thought.

**::****When your tears are spent on your last pretense  
And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense.  
When it's in your spine like you've walked for miles  
And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while**

**If your heart wears thin I will hold you up**  
**And I will hide you when it gets too much**  
**I'll be right beside you**  
**I'll be right beside you::**

Dorea could feel her face burning as Bill looked directly at her while singing. Was he... Was he singing this to her? But - this was a love - Dorea's eyes widened in shock and her mouth made a perfect little 'Oh' shape. Could Bill possibly love her as well?

**::****When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath  
When the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless.  
When you try to speak but you make no sound  
And the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud::**

Malfoy was glaring up at Bill, knowing full well who he was singing to. So that's the oldest Weasly threatened him the way he had, because he was in love with Dorea as well. Stupid blood-traitor...

**::****If your heart wears thin I will hold you up  
And I will hide you when it gets too much  
I'll be right beside you  
I'll be right beside you**

**I will stay.**  
**Nobody will break you,**  
**Yeah.**

**Trust in me, trust in me.**  
**Don't pull away**  
**Trust in me, trust in me.**  
**I'm just trying to keep this together,**  
**Because I could do worse and you could do better::**

Narcissa couldn't help but smile as Bill was clearly serenading Dorea. They were such an adorable couple... And if they weren't a couple yet then they would be one soon. Her eyes quickly found her son, who was glaring at Bill Weasley. That reminded her, she would have to scold him for his language and unbecoming behavior soon... According to Severus he had taken away her son's privileges of going to Hogsmeade for his language, so could she possibly take him off the Slytherin Quidditch team until he learned to behave...?

**::****Tears are spent on your last pretense  
And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense.**

**If your heart wears thin I will hold you up**  
**And I will hide you when it gets too much**  
**I'll be right beside you**  
**Nobody will break you**

**If your heart wears thin I will hold you up**  
**And I will hide you when it gets too much**  
**I'll be right beside you**  
**Nobody will break you.::**

Bill finished the song to hear cheers from the males and coos from the females. Charlie walked back on stage and "lovingly" thumped his brother on the back. Bill wasn't fooled, Charlie's eyebrow was twitching, he did that for revenge for him kicking his shins.

"Such a romantic at heart, truly sweet." Charlie teased, and Bill sighed. This was going to be a long night.

But one look at Dorea's overjoyed face made it all worth it.

**~O~O~O~ MEANWHILE ~O~O~O~**

Meanwhile, at the Wizengamot trial that Madam Bones was holding for Sirius, things were flowing wonderfully.

Not only had she managed to convince the Wizengamot that Crouch had not only knowingly thrown Sirius into Azkaban without a trial, but had not even filed his paperwork concerning Sirius' case properly so as to hide his tracks, they had gotten Sirius into the trial room without any hesitations. The Death Eaters, or at least the ones that claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse and were Heads of the Families, were all mentally sweating as they looked at the clean and healthy Sirius Black in front of them. There was a hard glint in his silver eyes, and not even Lucius Malfoy could compare to the regality in which he strode into the trial room with. Lucius was mentally cursing, Amelia Bones had insisted that, since this was a trial for Lord Black, he was not allowed to vote using the Black Family seats, which consisted of 7 votes in the Wizengamot in total. He could see Dumbledore acting as Dorea Potter's proxy at the moment, holding not only the Potter seats(a total of 7), but also the Gryffindor and Peverell seats(both of which had 3 each). Dumbledore was acting as Dorea's proxy under her own request, with her claiming that she had not been taught enough to understand the Wizengamot meetings as of yet and wished for him to take her place until Sirius was freed and allowed to take the title as her proxy.

Lucius watched with bated breath as Sirius was administered the tested Veritaserum and the questioning began.

"What is your name?" Madam Bones asked, going over the regulation 5 questions to test that the Veritaserum had truly taken effect of Sirius.

"Sirius Orion Black." Sirius answered in a dull voice that could only be the result of Veritaserum. There was no duplicating the near robotic tone in which a victim of Veritaserum used when answering questions.

"What were your parents' names?" Madam Bones asked after checking off the first question from her list.

"Orion Black and Walburga Black, née Black as well." Sirius answered, though a look of disgust was evident on not only his face, but also the faces of several other members of the Wizengamot. Not even pureblood fanatics would let first or second cousins marry, generally using third or fourth cousins.

"What were your siblings' names?" Madam Bones asked in a bored voice.

"Regulus Arcturus Black." Sirius answered.

"When were you born?"

"September 13th, 1959."

"What is your child or godchild's name?"

"Dorea Lillian Violetta Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell-Black." Sirius answered. Suddenly everyone sat straight up at the last surname that had been added to the Lady Potter's name, when had that gotten there?

"How is it that Dorea Potter is also a Black?" Madam Bones asked. Sirius' eyes filled with love as he answered.

"When my mother disowned me from the family at 16 years of age she cast a sterilization curse at me, I cannot have any children the natural way. When Dorea was born, James and Lily made me her godfather and offered to let me Blood Adopt her so as to make her my Heiress as well." Sirius responded. Madam Bones nodded and cast Sirius one last look.

"Is she aware of this fact?" she inquired. Sirius lips twitched a little in a smile, about the most happiness he could show under the effects of Veritaserum,

"I explained it to her last night before she went to bed." he answered. Whispers spread around, had Sirius Black been at Hogwarts this week while Madam Bones was there? Had Dorea Potter taken up her mantel as Lady Potter then as well, which was why Madam Bones hadn't been surprised by any of the other names as everyone else had been when Dumbledore announced which seats he was acting as proxy for whom? Madam Bones simply nodded her head and went back to the question sheet that she had in front of her.

"Were you the Secret Keeper of Lily and James Potter?" she asked.

"No." Whispers once again flooded the Wizengamot, only to be silenced when Madam Bones slammed her gavel.

"Who was their Secret Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew." No one was really surprised by that, seeing as how Pettigrew had announced to the muggles that Sirius had been Secret Keeper and that Sirius must have hunted him down, meaning that Pettigrew had been behind their deaths all along.

"Were you ever a Death Eater or planning to be a Death Eater?"

"No, I never was and I never planned to be."

"Have you ever passed on information to Death Eaters or supporters of Death Eaters?"

"Only false information to aid the fight against Voldemort." Most of the Wizengamot flinched at the name, but it only confirmed their suspicions. A Death Eater could never possibly say their master's name, it would hurt their Dark Mark if they did so.

"How did you escape Azkaban prison?"

"I am an unregistered Animagus, I have been since my 5th year at Hogwarts. Once my animal form was thin enough I was able to slip through the bars and swim to land."

"Why did you escape Azkaban prison?"

"To protect Dorea from Pettigrew."

"Why was she in danger of Pettigrew?"

"He's an unregistered Animagus as well, and was living under the form of her friend's pet. I saw him on the cover of a Daily Prophet that Fudge brought me one day, and when it mentioned that the youngest son was friends with Dorea I knew that if Voldemort," there were more flinches in the Wizengamot. "Ever returned then Pettigrew would be in the perfect position to incapacitate Dorea and hand her over to that Snake Bastard." Sirius finished his answer just as the Veritaserum wore off. Madam Bones nodded and looked around the Wizengamot.

"All in favour of guilty of all charges, being the betrayer of the Potter family, the murderer of Peter Pettigrew and 13 innocent muggles?" Only those that had the Dark Mark on their left arm raised their glowing wands, resulting in a total of 10 votes against Sirius.

"All in favour of innocent of all charges?" she asked. Everyone else raised their glowing wands, and including Dumbledore's 13 votes, it was a grand total of 53 votes saying innocent and 10 saying guilty. Madam Bones slammed her gavel and nodded once.

"Sirius Orion Black, you have been deemed innocent of all charges. You will receive a grand total of 50,000 galleons for every year that you were illegally incarcerated, with a 500 galleon charge of being an unregistered Animagus." She looked out to the Wizengamot, and further on the the press and Wizarding Wireless Network that were sitting in the back. "The Order of Merlin, First Class that had been gifted to one Peter Pettigrew had been removed. Pettigrew is now a highly wanted man for the betrayal of Lily and James Potter, for being a servant to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, for the murder of 13 innocent muggles, and for framing one Lord Black. His crimes have issued a Dementor's Kiss on-spot when arrested. If anyone has any information of Peter Pettigrew, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic."

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 12,101**

**There you guys go, a nice long interlude.**

**DONE! WOOHOOO! Next chapter will be the Halloween/Samhain interlude, IN WHICH DOREA AND BILL WILL FINALLY GET TOGETHER! Yeah, I was getting tired of writing about them dancing around each other and acting all couple-y just as much as you guys were tired of reading it. IT FINALLY ENDS!**

**Review Count: 1,023**

***throws hands up in air* I called it. I called it. I totally called it. I knew you guys would get over the 1000+ reviews mark, AND YOU DID! YOU ARE ALL SO VERY AWESOME! :3**

**Review Goal: 1,075**

**Yeah, more specific this time. Me? I like even numbers, I'm almost like Kid from Soul Eater in that aspect. Which is why 8 is my favourite number ^^**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! And remember, the first person to correctly guess who makes the first move out of Bill and Dorea gets to join my Interview next A/N, featuring... Drum roll please!**

***drum drum drum drum, drum drum drum drum, dr-dr-dr-**_**drum**_**!***

**Dorea, Bill, Michaela, and Charlie!**

**Dorea: Wait - **_**what**_**?**

**Bill: I didn't agree with this!**

**Michaela: BUT I'M **_**YOU**_**!**

**Charlie: Why am **_**I**_** being dragged into this?**

**Well, Dorea - yes, you will be the victim of an embarrassing interview from one of our fans! Bill - I signed you up for you, so you're welcome! Michaela - ah ah ah, you're only based off me, you still have your own unique touches that I don't have. Charlie - because of you're part of one of the main pairings, that's why! So leave that review and I'll PM the winner to discover their questions!**


	31. HalloweenSamhain Interlude

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC! Really bad language in this chapter, especially towards the end of Bill and Fleur's scene! Just thought that you'd like a heads up :)**

**Question peoples - is it normal that, after walking home in -12 degrees (I live in Canada, I use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit) and not able to feel your toes, have your ears burning, and the front of your thighs are numb? Or is it just me? *cries*Sierra I waited at your locker after school but you never showed up! Bitch!**

**I also posted a oneshot for Hetalia in case anyone was wondering. I'm testing the waters with how well I can write dark topics, and I'd really appreciate it if I could get someone's opinion on how well it's written...**

**Oh, and if someone could draw the scene where Bill threatens Fleur for me, I'd be forever grateful!**

***eye twitches* Once again, I have been called selfish for my slow updates. I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF EXAMS, PEOPLE! I CAN'T JUST CRANK OUT CHAPTERS, which I try to make as long as possible for the sake of my readers, DAYLY! I'M ONLY HUMAN! God, get a grip you stupid flamers! Besides, interludes are harder to write than you would think. I mean, I have all the ideas and everything ready, but putting it in words takes a while itself... Also, if you're going to flame, MAN UP AND USE YOUR USERNAME PEOPLE! I mean, seriously, anom. flames? I laugh at them because you don't have the guts to let me know who you are! That's so childish to hide behind the title "Guest".**

**UnBetaed chapter people! I apologize for the inconvenience, but Sierra got sick and wasn't able to Beta the chapter this time round, so it took a long time to update(two days later than I was planning to...), plus I did a bit of editing myself... So I apologize in advance for any mistakes that I may have missed!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Aida Ines Zenobia: Aw, that's cute, tomato-face! Hehe, I totally feel like Spain from Hetalia from saying that :3 Yes, yes she did. DOESN'T MATTER! She insulted awesomeness, so she must pay! Besides, Abi told me that she managed to claw Bitch Queen's face and that it was bleeding, so I'm pretty happy *evil smirk* *grins* Ah, comfort from the sexy older brother, that will do the charm... I'm jealous :( I never get to meet sexy older brothers, all my friends' older brothers aren't sexy in the slightest... Yes, Malfoy is truly a creeper, and she might just do so. I had fun writing that - and picture it, you're Bill, and Dorea is about to be lip-raped by Malfoy. What do you do? BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUTTA THAT BASTARD! I mean... *smoothes down hair* Ahem... Yeah. Please, I'm the authoress here. (I can totally do an eviller face though :P) Yes, finally! I was pissing myself off with them dancing around each other so I'm finally putting it to an end! And once Dorea and Bill are together I'll focus on Susan and Ron as a couple - I think I'll do the couplings three at a time, it just makes it so much easier. Why thank you! And I didn't send any instructions (YET), but I did send a list of materials that she's gonna need to make one.**

**AbigailPaine: She blushed tomato red, so it's all good. And, uh, did she slam something into the keyboard?**

**MistBlade8: YES! I KNOW RIGHT?! Charlie's character in this story is my favourite (don't tell Bill that!) so I love writing scenes that involve him - I honestly think that was the sole reason I had him MC as well... And nextly - HOLY CRAP! YOU LIVE **_**WHERE**_**?! That... I CAN'T AFFORD THAT FLIGHT! AND I CAN'T SWIM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, EITHER! (Total Hetalia reference there, I think you can find that clip on Youtube, I killed myself laughing at America) THIS MAN WILL BE REVEALED IN THE SIXTH BOOK! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I VILL MAKE YOU VAIT! *coughs* That was a horrible Romanian accent right there, just in case you were wondering... I think of all my regular reviewers as friends, we have conversations of sorts over this story. That totally was Myrtle's finest moment - the perverted 12 year old ghost. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuh... What's that supposed to say, or is it supposed to just be a bunch of exclamation marks? *cocks head to side in confusion* Oh... That would certainly explain the pace of the review if you're writing it at 3:22 am... Make sure to get your sleep!**

**griffindork93: Yes, yes it was. The list of reviews are longer on actual chapter chapters instead of interludes - I really don't know why interlude review lists are shorter though... Any idea as to why that is? Ah, but remember, Bill already confessed to Dorea. Granted, she was asleep at the time, but he already told her that he loved her. And who knows, Dorea may confess first, but Bill may just kiss her first. He only knows that he's been in love with her for a few days, he doesn't know how long he's been in love with her for yet. I'm thinking about making something with the SoulMates thing so that the moment they meet they begin to fall in love, but it isn't until both accept that they're in love with their SoulMate that they fall hard and fast. Nah, I don't see Dorea doing that. She seems more shy when it comes to kissing Bill than she is when it comes to hugging him every time she's kissed him so far her face decided to go all tomato on her. It also shows that no matter what anyone said, their students came first for all of them, including Slytherin. I don't like how everyone makes him evil, for all we know Hogwarts, A History could have been written by someone whose father was killed by a descendant of Slytherin in a duel and that's why the books say that he was evil. Please, this is Malfoy we're talking about, after reading about how he's acted his mother has probably told him that he would be getting no treatment for his injuries and that he can tough it out like a real man. Would you believe that I actually had difficulty writing his revenge? I decided that actually doing that to Umbridge's office would be too cruel for Dumbledore to do, so I made it a ward and put poo in her drawers instead. Immature, but still cruel enough to give her nightmares. Sounds like Dumbledore to me. Well, Steady As She Goes was really a pick-off-my-youtube-list selection, and I wanted Bill to sing an adorable love song for Dorea and only Dorea - and besides, the song also describes how their relationship is going after her breakdown, which she was way overdue for. I mean, first there's the stress of Voldemort being back and no one listening to her about it, then she's being tortured almost daily by Umbitch, add in the fact that her life is being read about against her will and she was attacked by Malfoy she really was overdue for a breakdown. I found that the way she behaved towards Fleur in HPB was really insulting - the mother-in-law may not have to like the future daughter-in-law, but she was just plain rude and mean towards Fleur, who was trying her best to become part of the Weasley family before the wedding! Which is why I wrote Molly acting the way that she is, unless she approves of the couple they're all wrong in her eyes.**

**il2swim57: Ah, true true, that was my original plan, but the one that I'm going with is just so much cuter and fluffier. It was originally gonna be that Dan hits Bill in the back of the head with an orange or something like that, causing Bill and Dorea to accidentally kiss, which then begins to turn into a snog fest. I plan on doing 3 couples at a time, so once Bill and Dorea are together I plan on working on Ron and Susan - and don't worry, I plan on getting to Sierra and Neville near the end of the book when Michaela and Charlie are either together or almost together. After that I only have Blaise and Dante (who will get together quickly, mid-fourth) and Dan and Naomi (who will be getting together in the seventh book). Don't worry, you didn't cross any lines, I'm pretty sure that I didn't make when everyone would be getting together clear or how I was working the couplings.**

**InsanityUnleashed: Yeah, and they got it right. Well, I mainly reply to the long reviews individually and the short reviews in the A/N at the top ^, and since yours was a longer one I replied to it specifically :) I can be the most insane person ever (I laugh when people are torn apart in horror movies, it's fun laughing at their stupidity - when there is a murderer that is trying to kill you, you never go anywhere alone, and you most certainly do not go out in the middle of the night on your own! That's just asking to be killed!) Really...? Wow, I guess that I'm just really lucky then! The books themselves will be the darker aspect, while the story will be lighter. I prefer to keep a balance between the two, which is why I like grey stories so much. In general this story will be grey, but there is the differences between what's light and dark. I'm trying to keep from putting up too serious chapters and too silly chapters, I have a thing for keeping things even and it shows in how I write, I guess. I can write really dark stories and really light stories at the same time... Thank you! Most of the characters will grow up more and more as the books progress, mainly because most of them are seeing how mature Dorea really is, and even though she has her childish moments she only has them because she never actually had a childhood thanks to the Dursleys. *blushes* Don't worry, I don't plan on it...**

**DarkestRevelation: Oh, don't worry, I can reply to all the reviews pretty quickly, it's like having a conversation with someone so it happens really quick :) Well, I find that everyone needs a bit of bashing, though I'm really pressing on the Molly bashing - but really, the sixth book emphasizes Molly bashing due to how she treated Fleur, so I'm just transferring that over to Michaela because she seems like the exact opposite of what Molly would want in a daughter-in-law. There will be different character bashings later on when we get into the really stupid moments of the characters (most of the Third book and up) I didn't think that Sierra would want to Beta the interludes, but apparently she does... So I didn't send her the last interlude, but this one will be sent to her to be checked. The thing that Voldemort has for Dorea is pretty simple, really - she's beautiful, rich, powerful, smart, stubborn, and honest, so Voldemort thinks that she would be the perfect person to have his children. That's pretty much the only reason that he wants her - also because she survived the Killing Curse when no one else could. Does that make sense now?**

**The Author42: Yes, it's official now! HE IS INNOCENT! *blushes* I really wasn't sure as to how people would react to it... I think it's a fitting punishment, seeing as how she hates magical creatures so much... *eye twitches* First off, it's **_**Michaela**_**. Second off, I'm not telling you that because it'll be in the sixth book. Yeah, I heard that song as well - come on, who else could sing a song like that? It's totally up Remus' alley! So yeah, LUPIN CAN SING :P**

**Laura-Shi: Exactly! And there are so many things that annoy me in the books - like the fact that once Harry found out that Parseltongue was seen as a bad thing by the rest of society he stopped speaking it. I mean, that language could totally save lives! It's not fair for the rest of the world that can speak Parseltongue to be labeled by a few evil wizards that could speak it! I'm not planning on bring the Grangers into the story, but Dorea, Naomi, and Lily won't put up with her closed mindedness. I mean, she's living in a world where teleportation is practically regulated and you can take on someone else's appearance with a single potion! Who's to say that Luna's creatures aren't real or that Divination is impossible? Well, the way I see it that's how Malfoy would act if the girl he loves rejects him, so I don't think it was too OOC... And Dorea's reasons were completely valid, especially considering that his father laughed at her while she was being tortured. I mean, would you be willing to trust someone in the slightest if you've had a bad past with them and their father laughed at you while you experienced the worst pain in your entire life? A breakdown was just waiting to happen, she must be overly stressed about everything right now, especially since she's spending time with her dead parents that she never got to know. I know I would have broken down the moment I was alone if I was her. Well, considering that she's stuck with several half-creatures, full blooded creatures, and a herd of centaurs, Umbridge will probably snap soon and do something that requires her to be chained up for her own safety (and our amusement). I'm not a huge fan of Remus/Tonks either, but since I like the idea of Teddy Lupin I have to stick with it. Well, considering that I like Narcissa as well, there won't be nearly as much bashing on her as there will be on the rest of the Malfoys. If you check , you'll see that Orion and Walburga Black were second cousins. And yeah, seeing as how he should still pay the fine I think it makes sense, after all, he's getting a ton of money so he'll easily be able to afford to pay the fine. I guess you'll just have to wait to find out who makes the first move~.**

**bloomnskyrules: I was waiting for your review. I loved Bill's song, especially since he was there for Dorea when she broke down earlier in the interlude, and it's such an adorable love song that I just couldn't help it. And let's be real about Molly - she goes off her own opinion and no one else's, so she would never ask Charlie as to what kind of girl he would want to marry. Well, I hope you like Lucius' reaction, I thought about it for a moment and figured that what I wrote would have to be the best way to describe how he feels about the entire thing. Pffft, of course she won't, she thinks that Bill will be hers in the end no matter what. I had so much fun writing the rejection scene it isn't even funny... Well, he is a Gryffindor and saw all the pranks that the Marauders, the Prewett Twins, and the Weasley Twins have pulled, so of course he gets some ideas from them. And creativity is needed in order to invent things, so it only makes sense for him to do something really creative and different for his prank. Yeah, I was thinking Remus for the younger years and Sirius for the older years, since he would have more experience with dark magic having grown up in a household dedicated to that side of magic.**

**~O~O~O~**

Fleur was busy pacing in her room, trying to figure out what to do. If she didn't act now, she would lose Bill - quite possibly forever, since she was supposed to leave him and Dorea alone if Dorea won him over. She began cursing Dorea Potter under her breath, what did that little girl have that she didn't? It was possible that Bill was after her for her titles, and she would suspect that of any man but Bill. Her Bill was too noble, too kind, too sweet to ever think about doing something like that. She wandered over to her wardrobe filled with clothing and began searching for something that would attract her Bill's attention. She would have to work while Dorea was busy with classes, since that was the only time that she would have access to Bill without Dorea getting in between them. Fortunately for Fleur, she had a week to work her magic and win Bill over for once and for all.

Hopefully her plan would work.

**~O~O~O~ NEXT WEEK - MONDAY (the 29****th ****of October) ~O~O~O~**

Bill was wandering the halls of the castle, bored out of his mind. Classes were in session and he still had no idea as to how he was going to ask Dorea out. Thanks to the look on her face during the karaoke night when Charlie hinted that the song he sang might have been about her (he refused to admit it, but it had been) she hadn't been able to look him in the eyes and blushed every time he did so much as brush against her. It was absolutely adorable how she was such a shy little schoolgirl around him now, but the innocence that she radiated was what made it all the harder for Bill to ask her out. It was obvious that she had never had a date before, and judging by the way that she had reacted to Malfoy trying to kiss her she might not have even had her first kiss yet. That was what was giving Bill such a difficult time, all the girls he had dated in the past hadn't even been virgins and pretty much only expected him to be there for them and for him to sleep with them. He had no idea how to take a relationship with Dorea, he didn't want her to push her into doing something too quickly or accidentally do something that his exes liked but that Dorea wouldn't understand or would hold against him.

It was when he was contemplating what to do when he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and dragged behind a pillar.

Mentally cursing, as well as wondering if this is how Dorea felt when Malfoy attacked her last Friday, Bill glared down at his kidnapper only to see Fleur Delacour standing there. His eyes widened in shock as he took in her appearance - shorts that were short enough that they could be considered undergarments, a tank top with the neck line so low that he could easily see her bra - he quickly looked away so as to avoid seeing that hot pink atrocity for any longer, he hated anything that was hot pink with a passion - stilettos that were the exact same hot pink as her bra, and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail that, Bill noted, looked similar to how Dorea normally pulled her hair back. Was... Was she trying to look like Dorea? If so, she was failing, horribly at that.

"Fleur - what the bloody hell do you think you're doing? And why're you dressed like that?" Bill hissed, looking out at the corridor as if someone was going to walk behind that pillar and find the two of them standing there at any moment. Knowing Bill's luck, it would be Dorea to find them. Fleur blinked coyly, not fooling Bill at all.

"Why Beell, ees eet wrong for moi to try and talk weeth _mon_ _copain_?" she asked. Sighing, Bill pulled out the French-English dictionary that he kept in his bag at all times. Ever since he started tutoring Fleur in English she would randomly use French words in her speech, meaning that Bill would have to find the translation in order to figure out what she was saying. The moment that his eyes landed on the word _copain _he turned bright red and began spluttering.

"I - what - Fleur, we're not dating! _I'm not your_ _boyfriend_!" he shouted at the quarter-Veela while still managing to keep his voice down, knowing that it would be bad if anyone overheard their conversation right now. Fleur simply smiled at Bill and was about to use her Veela Charm when she remembered the Magical Contract that she was in.

"Of course not, seelly, but 'ou weell be soon." she said, then attempted to pounce on Bill so as to snog him. The keyword there being _attempted_. Bill shoved her off of him before she could kiss him, much to Fleur's dismay. Sighing, Bill ran a hand through his hair and looked back at Fleur.

"Fleur, I don't want to date you." he said. Fleur's eyes widened in shock - no, _no_, he can't be saying this, any man alive would want her! "I love someone else, and I can't just date you when I know that I'm in love with them." Fleur felt white hot rage flow through her veins as she saw the soft look on Bill's face, the same look that he had when he looked at Dorea. Clenching her shaking fists, she looked at the ground, her bangs covering her eyes.

"... Eet ees zat Potter 'ore, eesn't eet?" she whispered. Bill's gaze snapped back onto Fleur, his sapphire eyes narrowed in anger.

"Don't you _fucking_ call Dorea a whore ever again, do you hear me?" he growled, glaring at Fleur. Fleur glared up at Bill, her own silver-blue eyes narrowed into slits.

"And why not, seence zat ees what she ees? She ees only tryeen' to steeal 'ou from moi, nozeen' else!" Fleur insisted, false tears streaming down her face. Bill's expression, however, remained emotionless. "Why should I care for zat fuckeen' 'ore when she ees only tryeen' to make _ma vie_ 'orrible?" A fist slammed against the wall next to Fleur's head, and she suddenly knew that she had pushed Bill too far. His normally kind sapphire eyes were cold and cruel as he snarled down at the French girl, some loose strands of his flaming red hair falling into his face. Fleur could only feel one emotion, fear. This man in front of her was terrifyingly powerful and deadly, and all his rage was directed towards her.

"_If you ever fucking call __**my**__ Dorea a whore again, I will rip you shitty little head off and shove it so far up your arse that __**no one**__ will __**ever**__ be able to take it out again. __**Am I understood**_?" he growled. His voice was barely above a whisper, but Fleur felt as though he had just screamed the words at her. She nodded numbly, her legs shaking as she began to fear for her life. Bill stood up straight again, fixing his hair as though nothing had ever happened. "I suggest that you stay away from Dorea and myself, if you value your life, that is." he said as he began to leave, not bothering to turn around and look at Fleur.

The French girl collapsed to the floor, a cold sweat breaking out all across her body.

She had just ruined everything.

Bill was never hers.

He was always Dorea's.

And both girls knew it.

**~O~O~O~ TUESDAY - (the 30****th**** of October) ~O~O~O~**

Michaela had managed to kidnap Charlie, Bill, Dorea, and several muggleborn students and drag them into an abandoned classroom, the classroom which had once been the Self-Defence classroom. Dorea looked around curiously, Baron Williams had told her that the Self-Defence class had been shut down 30 years ago when someone had died because they hadn't properly warded the weaponry that they had been practicing with. Before the class had been shut down, however, Hogwarts used to teach martial arts, swordsmanship, archery, and many other ways of attack and defence to DADA majors that wanted to take the class. Fortunately, Riddle had never opted to take the class, probably deeming physically fighting to be a waste of his time. The ceiling was high and the room was large, though not nearly as large as the Great Hall. _This_, Dorea thought, _could easily be used as a Dueling Club meeting room. _She had checked over the idea with both Dumbledore(who was insisting that Dorea call him Grandpa Albus when they either weren't at Hogwarts or when they were having a private discussion) and with Professor Flitwick, both of whom approved of the idea and were both willing to supervise the meetings.

Dorea thought that Professor Flitwick could teach the club while Professor Dumbledore could watch, having that second pair of eyes to detect any bullying in the club. Dorea had made one specification clear when it came to this club, no bully was allowed to remain in it. No matter what House they were in, if they were purposely bullying someone else then they were to be removed from the club and not welcomed back in. She wanted the Dueling Club to be similar to the DA, to feel like one big family.

She was brought back down to earth when Michaela slammed a poster up against a levitating bulletin board, a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"None of you have a say in the matter, you are learning the dance today and we're performing it during the Halloween party tomorrow. Dumbles already approved of it," Dorea sighed here, so that was why Michaela went to see Dumbledore after she finished talking to him about a Dueling Club. "So we're doing it. You guys," she pointed at Dorea and the other muggleborns. "Should already know the dance, it's Bill and Charlie that I'm concerned about. Because of that," she pointed at a television - how was that working here? - which was showing a dance tutorial on it. "Is why I brought this technovision to help teach them."

Dorea sighed and Michaela started talking about costumes, with Hogwarts providing everything they would need to not only make the costumes, but to make sure that they were absolutely perfect. Great, she was already Fate's bitch, so now she was Hogwarts' bitch as well?

**~O~O~O~ THE NEXT MORNING - HALLOWEEN/SAMHAIN ~O~O~O~**

Dorea groaned as she woke up to a certain blonde half Elf pouncing on her.

"Wakey wakey, Dorea! There's only an hour left until the Halloween party!" Michaela sang happily. Dorea groaned and flung an extra pillow in Michaela's face.

"Get out. I want sleep." she murmured, nuzzling her head into her pillow. Michaela's face dropped as she stared down at the curled up form that made up Dorea. Sighing, Michaela got off Dorea's bed and walked to the other side of the room to get a running start. Out of blissful ignorance, Dorea looked up just in time to see Michaela flying through the air towards her. Letting out an ear piercing shriek, she was glomped by the annoyed blonde and both were flung out of the bed as a result. Dorea slammed her head against the wooden floor and glared up at Michaela, who was straddling her waist and pinning her hands down on either side of her head.

"Awake now?" she asked with false innocence. Dorea scowled and tried to roll over, only for Michaela's knees to pin her down.

"Bitch." she muttered. Michaela only beamed.

"That's what they call me!" she said happily, but Dorea wasn't fooled. She knew that Michaela was talking about her home life, where she responded to every insult with either a thank-you or a fuck you. She would thank them because, and Dorea quotes, "They're taking their time to insult me, meaning they find me important enough to insult." Michaela would respond with a fuck you if she was in a bad mood that day. "Now, onto the Halloween party - your costume is all set up, for both the performance and the party... Do you even want to go to the party?" Michaela asked, cocking her head to the side and letting go of Dorea's hands. She scooted off of her ravenette friend and leaned back against the bed as Dorea slowly sat up, shaking her head slowly.

"Every time I celebrate Halloween, one way or another, something bad happens. I only want to do the performance." Dorea said, making Michaela pout.

"Aw, no fun! I had your costume all picked out and everything! It'll totally make Fleur jealous, too!" she said, hitting all the right buttons to get Dorea to celebrate Halloween. First, the guilt trip to make Dorea wear the costume. Then mention that Veela slut to get Dorea down there and showing off what she's got. Michaela beamed as Dorea sighed.

"Fine, but I'm only going to eat something, then perform, and then I'm going to stay up here until the Samhain Ball starts." Dorea gave in. Michaela, mentally doing a victory dance, just grinned wildly at Dorea and pulled a dress sleeve out of seemingly nowhere.

"Great, then let's start getting you ready right now! The hair will take a while to do... Same with the makeup..." Michaela pondered, looking at the makeup kit that she had set down on Dorea's trunk. Dorea could only sigh as Michaela placed the costume down on her bed. This was going to be a _long_ day...

**~O~O~O~ LATER - WITH BILL AND CHARLIE ~O~O~O~**

Bill was sitting cross-legged on his bed, having finished putting on his costume, and watched with a strange glee as Charlie struggled to put his own costume on.

"So Bill," Charlie asked as he fumbled around with the gauntlets that he had been told to wear by Winky and Dobby. "When're you gonna ask Dorea to be your girlfriend?" Bill, who had been sipping some pumpkin juice, spat out his mouthful of the drink in shock. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he looked over at his younger brother.

"How the hell did you know that I was planning to ask her to be my girlfriend?" he asked. Charlie sent Bill a dead serious look.

"People are having bets on when the two of you will be getting together. Everyone knows that you love her and that she loves you, and it's annoying everyone to insanity that neither of you has made a move yet." Charlie finished getting the gauntlet on and smirked. "By the way, could you ask her out today? I have 50 galleons on the line here..."

He was hit in the back of the head with a pillow.

**~O~O~O~ LATER - AT THE HALLOWEEN PARTY ~O~O~O~**

Michaela was standing near the snack table, playing with the dark amethyst dress that she had been given. She had no idea as to why she was supposed to be dressed up at Guinevere from Camelot, though she did like the way that her costume hugged her curves while still appearing modest. The dress was floor length with an A-cut skirt that dragged along the ground just a tad. Her shoulders were revealed thanks to the off-the-shoulder gold trim on the neckline, a matching trim along the bell sleeves. There was a simple gold chain around her hips acting as a belt, as well as a pendant hanging around her neck. Her hair was in loose curls and had been pulled back into a part-ponytail. She was standing next to Dorea, who was adjusting her Isis costume. She was wearing a strapless white dress that came down to just above her knees, she had two bands around both her biceps and wrists, golden sandals on her feet with straps that ran up her shins, and Isis' headdress/tiara thing over her straightened hair.

"... Remind me as to why I came here again." Dorea muttered to Michaela as she glared at some boys that were ogling her. Michaela smiled and flipped off a guy that was staring pointedly at the two girls.

"Well, you wanted to show up Fleur. Speaking of which," her face twisted in disgust as she looked towards the French girl. "Have you _seen_ what she's wearing?"

Dorea looked towards the platinum blonde and gagged on the cookie that she had just bitten into. Fleur was wearing a coconut bra, a grass skirt, and an orange hibiscus in her hair. Dorea sent Michaela an exasperated look, mouthed "Hula girl?", and began to choke on her laughter. She was brought back down to earth when someone began rubbing circles on her back.

"Have you stopped choking yet?" asked a highly amused Bill. He was wearing gold gladiator sandals with a turquoise just below each knee, a white man-skirt hanging from a golden belt with another turquoise embedded in the gold, there was gold and turquoise striped cloth hanging from the belt, he had gold armour around his abdomen and lower chest, a turquoise and gold striped collar-like garment that covered from the tips of his shoulders to the rest of his chest, and a gold and turquoise headdress covering his crimson hair. "Hey, we match, Isis!" Bill teased, poking Dorea's own headdress/tiara thing(she wasn't really sure what it was) and beaming at the blushing girl. Michaela looked over at Charlie, who was dressed as a knight of old.

"And who are you, sir knight?" she teased. Charlie smirked and did a low bow.

"Sir Lancelot of the Round Table, at your service, my Lady." he taunted. Michaela fake huffed and turned away, chin high in the air.

"Your Majesty would be more preferable." she said. Charlie raised an eyebrow at the blonde half-Elf.

"You're Lady Guinevere?" he asked. Michaela blushed and nodded. Suddenly an awkward silence surrounded the four of them, Dorea and Bill were dressed as Isis and Horus, who, according to Egyptian mythology, were originally brother and sister but were reborn as husband and wife, while Michaela and Charlie were dressed as Guinevere and Lancelot, who, according to the legends, were lovers that ran away from Camelot together.

After about 5 minutes of awkward silence and eating snacks, Michaela looked up at the clock that was magically shown on the wall.

"It's almost time for the performance, we should go get changed." she said. The three nodded in agreement, and the group snuck their way into a side room that would also lead to the stage that had been set up for their performance.

Ron, dressed in a Peter Pan costume, was looking around the Hall.

"Hey, 'Mione," he asked, turning to Hermione, who was dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. "Where's Rea?" Hermione joined Ron in looking around for their best friend when Dumbledore walked on stage.

"Well, this is certainly a first in many aspects, but a few days ago I was approached by a young lady who requested that she and a group of friends be allowed to perform this song and dance for us. I am pleased to present to you, the Time Warp, featuring Dorea Potter, Bill Weasley, Michaela Dupont, and Charlie Weasley!" he said happily, clapping as he walked off the stage. The red curtain rose to reveal a pitch black stage. As the music started, a spotlight fell on Bill Weasley, whose hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail, and was wearing dress slacks, a white blouse, a black vest, and a swallow-tail coat that reached his knees over top. Molly raised an eyebrow at her son's attire, why was he dressed like that?

Bill looked up at his cue and started singing.

(A/N: Bill singing, **Dorea singing**, _Michaela singing_, Charlie singing, _**everyone singing**_)

It's astounding;  
Time is fleeting;

Bill stood up, swerving around a pillow of sorts.

Madness takes its toll.  
But listen closely...

Here Dorea walked up to him, wearing a French maid uniform and high heels, her hair pulled back in a bun. Most of the audience choked on their food, their drink, or on air at the sight of her, Molly's the strongest. _What the bloody hell-?_

**Not for very much longer.**

I've got to keep control.

I remember doing the time-warp  
Drinking those moments when  
The Blackness would hit me

**And the void would be calling...**

The back of the stage lit up to reveal around three rows of muggleborns, all in black suits.

_**Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.**_

The left half of the stage lit up, revealing Charlie dressed in beige dress slacks, a sweater vest, and a beige blazer overtop. Molly sighed, at least her sons were dressed properly.

It's just a jump to the left.

_**And then a step to the right.**_

Put your hands on your hips.

_**You bring your knees in tight.  
But it's the pelvic thrust  
That really drives you insane.  
Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.**_

People were seen staring up at the performers in shock at the dance that they were doing. How - why the hell were they all smiling and laughing while they did this? _That dance -_ Molly scowled. _That dance was completely inappropriate! Oooh, it was probably that Michaela girl's idea..._

Dorea walked to center stage and began singing the second verse.

**It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me.  
So you can't see me, no, not at all.  
In another dimension, with  
voyeuristic intention,**

Dorea winked at the audience, earning some cheers from the male crowd.

**Well secluded, I see all.**

Bill walked forward and joined Dorea at center stage, playing with a strand of her hair that had come loose during the dance number.

With a bit of a mind flip

**You're into the time slip**_._

And nothing can ever be the same.

**You're spaced out on sensation.**

Like you're under sedation.

_**Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.**_

This time, a light lit up on the right side of the stage, revealing Michaela. She was wearing booty shorts, scarlet high heels, a black sequined corset, and a scarlet swallowtail dress coat that reached to the bottom of her shorts. Molly's eyes narrowed further, she knew it. That girl was behind this, and probably came up with the idea for the costumes as well.

_Well I was walking down the street  
just a-having a think  
When a snake of a guy gave me an  
evil wink.  
He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise.  
He had a pickup truck, and the  
devil's eyes.  
He stared at me and I felt a change.  
Time meant nothing, never would again._

_**Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.**_

It's just a jump to the left.

_**And then a step to the right.**_

Put your hands on your hips.

_**You bring your knees in tight.  
But it's the pelvic thrust  
That really drives you insane.  
Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.**_

As the song ended, everyone on the stage fell to the ground. Up until the song had been finished for 5 seconds, everyone just lay there. Once all the performers started getting up, the crowd started cheering for the performers. While many of the adults disapproved of the dance of choice, since there were 11 and 12 year olds present to watch it, they all had to admit, the dance itself was well done and well performed. The four at the front of the stage, bring Dorea, Bill, Michaela, and Charlie, all took a bow and Michaela stepped forward.

"The dance performed was originally seen in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, if anyone would like a copy of the movie as well as a technovision please come and speak to me after the party is finished." she announced. Many of the mugglesborns looked curious at the proposition, what was a technovision? Once they were off-stage and changing back into their Halloween costumes was when Dorea voiced that question. Michaela only smiled at her friend.

"It's an American invention, seeing as how their magical community is so much more in tune with the muggle community than the British one is. It's a development in the field of technomancy, it's similar to the Wizarding Wireless Network in how instead of running off electricity, it runs off of ambient magic. It's pretty much a television, though." she explained. Dorea sent Michaela an odd look.

"That sounds really expensive..." she muttered. Michaela only flashed Dorea a cheeky grin.

"Not it you know what you're doing." she said, fiddling with her costume. Dorea rolled her eyes, of course Michaela would comment on how she managed to steal one without getting caught.

Those damn Clan Raids gave her too much practice in the thievery department.

**~O~O~O~ AFTER THE PARTY ~O~O~O~**

Dorea and Harry, who was dressed like the Doctor from Doctor Who, were walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room and comparing Hogwarts stories. While Harry hadn't been nearly as good in the grades department as Dorea was (turns out he had ADHD, who knew?), he was much more active in the pranking department that Dorea ever was during her stay at Hogwarts.

Harry was beginning to get into the pranks that he and Lee pulled on Umbridge when, speak of the devil, the Pink Toad herself appeared in front of them, shaking with rage. Never mind the fact that she was already arrested and not allowed to be within 20 feet of Dorea without supervision from Madam Bones, she was apparently attempting to intimidate Dorea by standing in the middle of the corridor and breathing heavily, it was almost animalistic. Dorea raised an eyebrow, but prepared herself in case the clearly enraged witch attacked. Umbridge appeared as though she would attack at any moment.

"_You_." she hissed, her buggy little eyes glinting with what appeared to be madness. "_It's all your fault_." Dorea could only raise her second eyebrow to join the first one, while Harry raised his right eyebrow. What the bloody hell was the toad talking about?

"Me. What's my fault again? That you got arrested? No, that would be because you were torturing me. Sorry, but torture is illegal, and you were caught." Dorea said almost happily, and Harry couldn't blame her. When Umbridge had been arrested not only by the wizarding government, but also under order of the Queen for "crimes against humanity", he had been so giddy that he had literally done a little jig when it was announced that she would be given the Kiss. Umbridge twitched, spinning her wand in her hand. Harry felt his muscles tighten, he may not have known Dorea for long but the two of them got along better than anyone else he knew, mainly because they were practically the same person and could tell what the other was thinking just by subtle movements. Dorea looked quickly at Harry once before turning her attention back to Umbridge, sending the message that Harry understood immediately.

_Careful, and remember, if she tries to kill either of us do what it takes to take her out._

"You _filthy_ _little_ _liar_," Umbridge spat towards Dorea. "I don't know how you managed it, but you tricked those books into showing your lies _only_, _no truths_. _Lie_s _lies lies lies lies lies lies lies_..." Umbridge muttered under her breath, spinning her wand almost wildly. Harry's eyes widened a fraction of an inch.

Dear Merlin, Umbridge had gone _insane_.

Umbridge was the first to attack, swirling her wand in a circle and casting the spell non-verbally. Harry responded first, one of the only perks of having lived through the war. His blast of white intercepted Umbridge's dark purple beam, causing a small explosion to take place. Using the explosion as an excellent diversion, Dorea cast a blood thinning hex that, if combined with a properly applied cutting hex, could be lethal. Umbridge got hit, but ignored the fact that she was hit when she didn't notice any differences to her person. She must have assumed that Dorea's spell had failed, or she hadn't recognised it due to her state of mind, because she was casting off weak but potentially dangerous spells in quick succession. Harry knew Umbridge's fighting style after several duels between Ministry officials and the Order to know that she would be worn down quickly if she continued at this pace, while both he and Dorea could continue fighting the way that she was for days on end due to the large size and strength of their magical cores. What the Dursleys had done to them had done the exact opposite of what they had hoped it would do, Healers had proved long ago that strict discipline would strengthen a magical core, but if a child was pushed too far their core would seal itself off, thereby destroying the person from the inside out within time. That was the reason why pureblood families refused to allow their children to be punished as severely as they could, because they feared that it would cause their child's core to seal itself.

The only other way for the magical core to seal itself was through an extremely traumatizing event happening to a weak willed person, in such a case Ariana Dumbledore would be the best example. As the youngest child born into a loving magical family, as well as being taught basic control over her magic at a young age due to the family living in a muggle residency, when she was beaten nearly to death by those muggle children it had enough of an effect on her psych to seal off her magic to prevent such an even from happening again. This was also why magical families usually refused to live in muggle areas, to prevent a muggle child from seeing accidental magic and to keep such an event from happening.

Harry tuned back into the battle to discover that he had been fighting automatically, that Dorea was fighting almost like a cross between Hermione, Luna, and Ginny, and that Umbridge was beginning to back away. One quick Tripping Jinx ensured that she didn't manage to escape, and a quick Stunner courtesy of Dorea helped to make sure that Umbridge was caught and would be handed to Madam Bones to be taken in and held under constant supervision. The thundering of footsteps echoing down the corridor, however, told Harry and Dorea both that they wouldn't have to wait very long in order to have the Toad put under constant surveillance. They both turned to see the Gray Lady floating down the corridor quickly, Madam Bones and Dumbledore on her heels.

"Dorea, Harry, are you two alright?" Dumbledore asked as Madam Bones ran straight to Umbridge to find out what was wrong with her. The Gray Lady floated next to Dorea, a concerned expression on her face.

"Hogwarts alerted me to the fact that you were being attacked, were you hurt at all during it?" she asked, placing a hand on Dorea's shoulder. The ravenette just shrugged.

"Harry and I are fine, Umbridge just appeared out of nowhere, said everything was my fault, went insane and attacked us. No biggy." Dumbledore sighed at how calm Dorea sounded when she was explained what happened. She shouldn't be able to sound so calm, she should be freaking out over that fact that someone just tried to attack her. The worst thing about her brushing this off was because she was seen worse in her years at Hogwarts, much, much worse. Madam Bones turned to Dorea and Harry with a solemn expression on her face.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to report this attack to the Auror Department. Problem is, I don't know how to explain that there was a member of the Potter Family that was attacked." she said. Dorea just turned and smiled at Madam Bones.

"Couldn't you just report that she attacked me, since I was the one that she was targeting? I mean, we could always just leave out that Harry was here since he technically doesn't exist in this dimension anyway." she said slyly, her smile turning into a small smirk. Madam Bones' expression mirrored Dorea's own, and suddenly Dumbledore was able to understand why this woman was in Slytherin when she attended Hogwarts.

"That is true. Lady Potter, I'll contact you tomorrow for your statement as a witness and victim of this attack. Until then." Madam Bones did a little bow, levitated the unconscious Umbridge in front of her and walked down the corridor, most likely to bring her to a confined room until the next reading. Dumbledore sighed and looked at Dorea.

"Dorea, are you sure that you won't need an escort to -" Dumbledore stopped when he saw Dorea and Harry both raising their eyebrows at him. He sighed again - maybe he should think about retiring after Voldemort was finally defeated... "Sorry about that, Harry, I didn't mean to forget that you were here. Would you please take Dorea straight to her dorm, just in case there is someone else that was planning on attacking her today?" he requested. Harry nodded, a strange glint in his eyes.

"Of course, professor. We had been heading to the Common Room when Umbridge came, anyhow. It would be no bother to take her there now." Harry replied. Dumbledore nodded, sent one more glance at Dorea, and walked away. Dorea couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"Honestly, these readings have him speaking more to me than he has for the past two months..." she muttered angrily. Harry just patted her shoulder kindly.

"It was because he was afraid of Voldemort possessing you to attack him or get information from you. Come on, let's go back to the Common Room - and you can tell me all about you and Bill while we're walking there." he teased. Dorea huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Sure, but only if you tell me all about you and Ginny." she taunted, causing Harry to blush at the memories of Ginny that came forward. The two then walked off, bantering like siblings.

**~O~O~O~ LATER - SAMHAIN BALL ~O~O~O~**

Cat was looking around the Great Hall in awe. Thousand of black, pearl, gold and silver candles were floating around, each casting off a different colour flame and illuminating the Hall in a way that reminded her of a dance that her primary would hold once in a while, only a thousand times better. There was a faint, pleasantly scented fog lingering up to her knees that seemed to glow under the candlelight. The four House tables had been removed and were replaced with small round tables that could sit close to 10 people at a time, there were beautifully carved statues set up around the room with strange Runes carved into their surfaces that she couldn't recognise. A few of the statues that were clearly samurai she could recognise the Runes on them in a heartbeat, due to her spending most of the year in Osaka, Japan.

She brushed back a single lock of hair behind her ear. Hogwarts had been really helpful towards the people that had no planning involved with their coming here, seeing as how the House Elves that lived in the castle and worked for it had made her, Michaela, Sierra, and Lily gowns for them all to wear. Michaela's ball gown was a dark emerald green with black embroidery that started at her left hip and cut ended at her right foot, completely covering the bottom of the skirt. She was wearing black gloves that went up to her mid-bicep, due to her gown being strapless. Her hair was pulled up in an elegant bun, her bangs pinned to the side of her head with an emerald leaf pin. Sierra, unlike Michaela, was wearing a cerulean blue evening dress with white crystals along the neck line. Her hair tied up in a braided bun, but unlike Michaela her bangs were loose. Cat was wearing a soft pastel purple dressed that resembled a yutaka with its long sleeves and straight cut figure. Her hair was pulled back in a simply braid with a butterfly pin holding the braid together at the end. Lily, and Cat only knew this because Michaela and Sierra had insisted on helping her with her hair as Cat did her own, was wearing a gorgeous silver gown that that off-the-shoulder straps. Thanks to the collaboration of Michaela and Sierra, Lily's hair was pulled up with small silver ribbons woven into her hairstyle.

Needless to say, Cat was very entertained by the reactions that Charlie and James both had at the sight of Michaela and Lily, respectively. James had started spouting something about Lily looking even more beautiful than she had on their wedding day while Charlie was just staring at Michaela in shock. The half-Elf blushed and looked away.

"What, do I have something on my face?" she asked, unable to look the Weasley in the eyes. Charlie flushed with embarrassment and scratched his cheek sheepishly.

"No, it's just... That dress really suits you..." he complimented, smiling at the girl that he was falling in love with. If he had really been paying attention, he would have noticed that his robes and Michaela's gown matched, since his robes were black with emerald embroidery.

Outside the Hall was Bill, leaning against the railing of the staircase and apparently waiting for something. Unlike his brother, his robes were a dark navy blue with a cream coloured outline on them. Fleur, seeing this as a chance to make amends for what happened earlier in the week, walked forward and attempted to catch Bill's attention. She was wearing a platinum cocktail dress that barely reached her knees. Upon seeing her approach, Bill's straight face turned into a scowl that Fleur was determined to kiss off his face.

"Ah, Beell, I would like to apologise for ma behaveeor zis past week, and was wondereeng eef 'ou would be ma date _pour le Bal_?" she asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder in what she tried to make an attractive way. Bill glared icily at Fleur before looking up the staircase once again.

"Sorry, but I can't accept your apology, and I refuse to be your date tonight." he said shortly. Fleur stared at him in shock before walking around to try and catch his attention once again, only to be on the receiving end of the iciest glare that she had ever seen.

"_Mais_ - _Mais je_..." she stammered. "_Je suis désolé pour mon comportement_!" Bill only continued to glare at Fleur.

"I don't accept half-hearted apologies from girls that are trying to get into my pants, thank you very much." he said, beginning to turn his head to look back up the staircase. "Besides, I already have a da-" Bill lost all ability to speak out of the sheer beauty that was walking down that marble staircase. Fleur looked up and snarled in anger.

Walking down the staircase was Dorea Potter, only she looked like a cross between an angel and a princess. Her gown was cream in colour and covered in delicate lace, there was deep navy trim down the front of her empire waist skirt, and her raven black hair was held back by a gorgeous golden clip with diamonds embedded in it. Bill suddenly seemed to snap out of his stupor and smiled up at Dorea, walking forward as she neared the final steps and holding out his arm for her to take like a true gentleman. Fleur was seeing red as Dorea smiled warmly at Bill and looped her arm through his. practically glowing with happiness as the pair walked into the Great Hall.

Fleur continued to glare at Dorea even when she was out of sight, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her pale flesh. She was surprised when Draco Malfoy, a blond boy who looked as though he could be of Veela descent walked towards her, a victorious look on his face.

"I plan on splitting those two apart, and I think that you'll help me." he said. Fleur looked one more time towards the doors where Dorea and Bill had just entered before looking back at the Malfoy Heir.

"_Je suis po. Quel est votre plan_?" she asked. Malfoy couldn't help but smirk as her mentally translated what she said.

_I'm in. What's your plan?_

**~O~O~O~ HALF AN HOUR LATER ~O~O~O~**

George was sitting at one of the many table, looking at the couples dancing together according to the traditionally beautiful, though slightly gothic, music that was being played especially for Samhain. He wanted to ask Hermione, who was dressed in a beautiful crimson ball gown, to dance, but he didn't know how. It wasn't until the brunette herself sat down next to him, sighing, that he thought of a way to get her to dance with him.

"What's wrong, Mia?" he asked. Hermione just fingered one of her delicate curls as she looked out towards Michaela and Charlie, who were waltzing across the dance floor (and, judging by the looks on Lily and Molly's faces, it was Lily who got them to dance together) happily, Michaela's skirt spinning out as Charlie spun the two of them around.

"All the boys that have asked me to dance with them were complete and utter perverts. They were either trying to grope me of look down my dress." she scowled. George felt his ears begin to burn as his blood pounded in rage. "And when I asked them why they even bothered to dance with me if all they wanted was some skank that they could take to some broom cupboard, they said that the best friend of Dorea Potter would get them farther in life than some no name whore!" Hermione grabbed a magically refilling glass of punch and downed it all in one gulp. George knew that now was his time to act - hopefully Hermione was a better dancer that Dorea was last year. Standing up, George held out one hand to Hermione.

"Well, since I don't want your night ruined by those arses," _Who Freddie and I will prank later_, George mentally noted. "How would you like to dance with this wonderful Weasley twin?" he asked, a shy smile on his face. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes met his blue-green eyes and she smiled, nodded, and took his hand. Inwardly, George was both sweating nervously and doing a victory dance for getting a dance from Hermione, but outwardly he was calm, collected, and trying to dance easily enough that Hermione doesn't stomp on his toes like Dorea did last Yule. His poor toes would never be the same again...

Across the Hall, Dorea couldn't help but beam as George began to sweep Hermione off her feet and around the dance floor. She tugged gently on Bill's robes and pointed in their direction.

"Aren't they going to be the most adorable couple?" she whispered, looking around the Hall to see who else would make cute couples. Dan and Naomi were chatting away at one of the tables, Naomi dressed in a simple silver dress that matched her eyes; Ron and Susan were sitting next to each other at the same table that Neville and Sierra were sitting at, all four talking and laughing about something - but neither Dante nor Blaise were anywhere to be found...

Bill, seeing the way that Fleur was watching him and Malfoy was watching Dorea, turned to his date with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Er, well, you haven't danced all night, and since it's your first Samhain Ball, and you're my date..." Dorea's face burned bright pink at the word date. "I was wondering, if you'd like to, er, dance with me?" he asked, his face turning as pink as Dorea's. The 15 year old Lady looked up at the man she loved and smiled happily.

"I'd love to dance with you, but just a heads up, I nearly broke George's toes last year at the Yule Ball." she teased as Bill led her to the center of the dance floor. The two had just gotten into position to dance when the music switched to a beautiful love song, only the karaoke version. There was one rule about music on Samhain, and that was that there could be no singing in it. It would disturb any and all magical waves that were being released on the night that magic was at its strongest.

Dorea didn't know what was happening, it might have been the music, the magic in the air, or the fact that she didn't want to hurt Bill in the slightest of ways, but the two of them were dancing perfectly together. Dorea didn't even recognise the dance that they were doing, she had never seen anyone dance this way before - but it just felt so natural, so perfect, dancing like this, this night, with Bill... She smiled as Bill twirled her twice before they returned to their original positions and he grinned cheekily at her.

"I thought you said you nearly broke my brother's toes dancing with him. Was that on purpose?" he teased. Dorea smirked up at him and shrugged.

"No, and I have no idea what's happening here. Usually I'm a horrible dancer - at least for Balls and stuff. I'm actually pretty good at hip-hop dancing." she said a little snobbily, making Bill chuckle as he shook his head in a way that clearly said 'Only you, Dorea. Only you.' She just sent Bill an arrogant smirk that was obviously her reply. 'Of course me, who else?'

The song began to come to an end as Bill spun Dorea a couple more times. When she returned to his arms, Bill held her close and felt his heart pounding heavily in his chest. _It's now or never, William, so man up and k-k-**kiss her**! _Bill mentally screamed at himself. He placed a hand under Dorea's chin, lifting it slightly as he lowered his own face towards hers. Dorea's eyes widened as she realised what he was doing, only to close as she leaned forward as well. Bill, whose eyes were only half close, smiled at the sight and close the gap between the two of them.

The moment their lips touched in a sweet, tender kiss, pure white magic surrounded the two of them. Lily could be heard squealing and clapping her hands together, Molly was wiping away a tear of happiness with a handkerchief that she had brought along for some reason, Fleur had shattered the glass in her hand, Malfoy had fallen to the floor in shock, Arthur was smiling proudly at his son for finally kissing her when everyone else could see how madly in love they were, James was grinning wickedly at the prospect of having Bill as his son-in-law(only to panic mere moments later at the idea of actually HAVING a son-in-law), and Charlie and Michaela were both busy walking around the Hall collecting their money from the people who lost their bets. The two slowly pulled apart and smiled at each other, not knowing what had truly happened in that moment, but they did know, without even having to say it, that they were now together at long last.

What they didn't know was that the soul bonds had set.

That the two could never be torn apart by anyone.

**~O~O~O~ MEANWHILE ~O~O~O~**

Lucius Malfoy was searching around Dumbledore's office for those stupid books. If he could bring them to his master, then he would be greatly rewarded - the shame of having lost his master's diary from when he was a child (how as he to know that the artifact was worth more to his master than his own life?) would be destroyed and he would be recognised as a hero amongst his fellow Death Eaters for giving his master the weapon that would end Dorea Potter and bring her begging to the Dark Lord. A sick grin grew on his face as he imagined the rewards that his master might give him for bringing Dorea Potter's weakness to him - perhaps he would allow Lucius to bed the Lady Potter, just once... He didn't mean to sound like some perverted old codger, but Dorea had become the woman that every man desired, all at 15 years old. He was just simply lucky that the girl had hit 15, now that she was of the age of consent.

Rummaging through Dumbledore's desks, Lucius grinned wickedly as he found the books. There was some strange gold shimmer on them, but he simply wrote it off as magical residue.

He was stunned and horrified to discover that, as he laid a hand on the first book - something about a Stone of some sort - that a burning, tearing sensation flowed through his hand and up his arm before his palm was split open and cauterized. Yelping as he jumped back, Lucius stared at the non-bleeding cut on his hand in complete shock. What - what the hell had just happened here?!

Lucius began to turn to leave when a wand hit his nose. Looking up, Lucius saw the three strangers standing in front of him, all their wands drawn. He slowly began to back away, only to bump into some Merlin-forsaken pillar behind the Headmaster's desk. He moved to draw his own wand, only for his cane, and by default his wand, to be summoned into the tallest stranger's hands. Barring his teeth like a wild animal, Lucius began to growl.

"Who are you three? Hiding behind those hoods of yours like bloody cowards." he snarled. The shortest, as well as the only woman there, let out an eerie giggle as she fiddled with her wand.

"Please, as if we take that as an insult from a Death Eater that hides behind his master's robes and a mask like the bloody bastard that he is. But, since you really want to know who we are - and since you can't tell anyone who we are, anyway..." The three strangers removed their hoods, and Lucius gaped at the three of them in horror. "We're Bill and Dorea Potter's children, James, Albus, and Lily."

**~O~O~O~**

**C'EST FINI! *dances happily***

**In case you were wondering what song Bill and Dorea were dancing to, it's the karaoke version of Could It Be You by Cascada. The actual music is so pretty, and the lyrics are so cute and fit the two of them perfectly :) Go ahead and listen to it if you want to.**

**Word Count: 12,004**

**Alright, really good for an interlude! Sorry for the late update, guys, but exam week... Pretty hectic... And if you want to see the dance that Dorea, Bill, Michaela, and Charlie performed, it's called the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and you can easily find the dance on youtube. Glee did their own version of it, it I'm correct... Also guys, just a little advice - if you're going to watch the walkthroughs on either HetaOni or on AoOni, don't do it at night... They give you the weirdest dreams...**

**As for Umbitch attacking Dorea and Harry - something has to happen every Halloween that sucks for Dorea, so she was attacked by an insane toad!**

**Oh God... I made Lucius a **_**cradle robber**_**... Well, if you look at all the Harry/Lucius stories on this site, the idea of it isn't too unpopular... But still - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEW! JUST EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!**

**Review Count: 1108**

***beams at reviewers* I know that the update took a while, and that's the main reason why you guys hit the goal (for some reason interludes get less reviews than actual chapters, I really don't know why...), I can't say that I'm surprised that you guys hit the goal. I'm actually rather pleased ^w^**

**Review Goal: 1160**

***hides in corner* It was LILEVILONE96 that got it right, and she was the only one... And she told me to have someone else who got it right to ask a bunch of questions... Meaning I have nothing to interview people with...**

**Michaela: *peeks out at readers* That's really good for us.**

**Dorea: *pops out next to Michaela* She's right, you know.**

**But I promised that I would torture you guys with that interview... *gets depressed***

**Bill: ... She is the authoress and she had exams up until yesterday... Maybe we should do something to help her out?**

**Michaela: Nah, just leave her there.**

**Love you too Michaela... **_**Oh and guys, I have a poll up so that you can vote on who should be able to come to join in the readings - there are only 5 options, but I want to hear your opinions on it, because I kept getting requests to bring in the Grangers, and I want to bring in Slughorn and Winky, plus Pettigrew would brew up some major drama while one parent for each Misfit would be interesting to write about...**_


	32. Book 2: Chapter 9

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**I added in the Molly bashing because I've pretty much done that since she was introduced in the first book... So this story is officially having Molly as a main bashing as well!**

**Alright, so I got two flames again - not the kind of FLAMES Nekojinngirl(btw, your review made me laugh so hard it isn't even funny :]) left me, but flames. Once again, from two guests. Funny how all the flames I get are from guests, aren't they? I mean, they didn't even give me a fake name instead of just "Guest"... The first one said it was a little hypocritical as to how Dorea is so pure yet she can enslave Vernon and how she's against abuse but she hits her friends - DUDE, LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND YOU. I'm basing Dorea's relationship with Ron and Hermione off the real world, and in the real world best friends are HORRIBLE to each other. Hitting, insulting, throwing things at each other, it's not considered abuse in the real world and yet it still happens. As for Dorea enslaving Vernon - it's a little something called KARMA. He enslaved **_**her**_** and misused money that was meant for **_**her**_**, so she is merely showing him what her life for the past 14 years was like. If you actually paid attention to what I wrote, she was simply treating Vernon the way that he has treated her since she was an infant - the Golden Rule, bub! As for how she is still so pure - she's already beginning to forgive Dudley because he's proving that he knows what he did in the past was wrong and that he wants to change. She forgave Ron for how he treated her in their fourth year and rescued him as the thing she would miss the most. The other flame was about the yaoi and yuri in my story - listen, I don't care what you think privately, but don't you DARE go all homophobic "Homosexuality is wrong, God doesn't want people that way..." shit on me. IDGAF about how you live your daily life, but to read your review saying that homosexuality is a psychological disorder - well, let's just say that I take personal offence to that, since Dante, the guy that story-Dante is based on, and who is actually gay, is one of my friends. Obviously you have no real idea what you're talking about - those "ex"-homosexuals were most likely bisexual and just simply hadn't realized it. God made every person the way he did on purpose, so if I hear one other person preaching homophobia on this story, Abi, Aida and I will build that electric chair and test it on them first. *evil grin* Bwahahahahahahahaha! ... HEY! I DIDN'T COUGH AFTER MY EVIL LAUGH! NEW RECORD~!**

**AND I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE REALLY LATE UPDATE, GUYS! I wanted to update Friday, so I sent the chapter to Sierra to edit - she still hasn't gotten back to me on it -.-' **

**Also, someone asked about when Bill would take Dorea's name - I would like to bring your attention to this little blurb that I stole from the bottom A/N of the very first chapter:**

_***** NOTE: Should a person from a lower standing Pureblood family(Ancient, Noble) marry someone from a high standing family(Most Ancient and Most Noble, Most Ancient and Noble) they will take on the name of the higher standing family. Ie; if Ron were to Marry Susan Bones, Ron would become Lord Bones rather than keeping the Weasley name. If two people of the same standing are married, and are the last of their families, their names will be hyphenated and they must have at least two children - one to carry on each name. Ie; if Neville and Susan were to marry, their marital name would be Longbottom-Bones rather than just one or the other. *****_

**Does this answer that question now?**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Aida Ines Zenobia: *laughs* *joins your happy dance* HAHAHAHA! But sad thing is - she doesn't plan on giving up just yet... Though I do have a counter attack on her plans *smirks* *beams* YAYZ~! It was just a thought of his, mainly because of everything that Dorea goes through during her school life. *laughs even harder* Yeah, and I'm still giddy over their kiss as well! I'm gonna have so much fun writing them as a couple now! So, time to move onto getting Michaela and Charlie together... *starts plotting* Why thank you, totally made them off the top of my head. Molly's character in the actual books pisses me off as well, seeing as how she ignored what her children wanted to do in preference of what **_**she**_** wanted them to do (cough cough Twins cough cough) *sweatdrops* Grounded for that...? My family is used to me laughing at night, because that's when I watch Hetalia... Well, I do have a heavy semester this time round... French, Math, Science, then Careers/Civics. Not too excited about the last class, but Science is pretty cool. Love my teacher - SHE SAID SHE WOULD MAKE US CUPCAKES :D**

**917brat: Yeah, well, usually I update once or twice a week, so updating with a week in between them is kinda slow for me... Though I have put all my other stories on hiatus while I work on this one, mainly because I know it'll take up most of my attention. That question will be answered at the beginning of this chapter, and no, no one but Molly, Arthur, James and Lily know that Dorea and Bill are SoulMates. No, those two idiots won't give up on either one of them, and NO, BILL AND FLEUR WILL NEVER DATE IN THE BOOKS. EVER. They may go on one or two dates, but that's about it.**

**bloomnskyrules: Why thank you~! I made it nice and long for all my wonderful reviewers. Well, in the actual story, that 31 chapters is just over a week... But yeah, it did take them a while, didn't it? ^^' Well, of course it's bye-bye Umbridge, she's DOOMED. With a capital DOOM. *chuckles* I wanted balance, and since Dorea tends to be hotheaded when she's angry, I needed someone cold to balance her out... Besides, I think that he would take after Arthur more than Molly. Well, in the sixth book, we find out why Michaela dresses the way that she does and why she cuts, which is also the reason that she and Charlie met in the first place, sooo... Yeah. Molly is gonna eat her thoughts when she finds out what really happened to Michaela that made her the way that she is today. :) You too? I can totally see him making her call him that, too! **

**griffindork93: Well, I never liked her character to begin with, so yeah, no brains for her. *laughs nervously* I'm horrible to characters that I don't like, aren't I? Well, let's think about it - he hates everything to do with muggles, would he really take a self-defence class that teaches muggle defence? No, I could never see him doing that. *smiles* That's how I react to insults as well, so pretty much you're complimenting how I take things. Seeing as how my brother insults me on a daily basis for no reason... *looks away darkly* Stupid bastard... Which one, Could It Be You? I love that song, and it really does fit Bill and Dorea, doesn't it? ^w^ Weeell, this is a Ministry bashing story, so that means that I have to keep making the MoM as stupid as possible... So she's staying until the end of the books :3 Well, my twist... *giggles* Just wait until the sixth book for that~! The only reason that I had Lucius try to steal the books was because someone sent me a PM asking about whether or not Lucius was going to bring them to Moldyshorts and why Umbridge wasn't reading them off to the side, so I needed a reason as to why that wouldn't happen. I can totally see James Jr, Albus Jr, and Lily Luna doing that to the books they send back though, couldn't you? No, no one else will discover who the "strangers" are until... Middle of the fifth book. That way it's right near Christmas time and we have the holidays to absorb the information given.**

**MistBlade8: Yep yep! I have a habit of going to bed at around midnight - I have to wake up at 7 in the morning, so I end up taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon once I get home from school. *snorts* Mon Dieu, now that you described that it's all I can see him doing... *laughs* I LOVE THAT INSULT! I AM TOTALLY STEALING IT~! Though credit all goes to you. Some of the words are missing, but here goes...  
1. Amelia Bones  
2. Chinese Fireball  
3. Mundungus(spelling?) Fletcher, and it was for the Order  
4. Some Half-Blood Ministry official... I can't remember his name at the moment...  
5. Frank something...  
6. Gernumblies :)  
7. A lethifold is a magical creature that is flat, lays on flat surfaces(eg. floors) and eats those who it finds.  
8. ... *cracks up* Sorry, but I can't remember and - A SEA ANEMONE! COME ON PEOPLE!  
9. Borgin, not the current one though. From Borgin and Burkes.  
10. Sturgis Podmore.**

**InsanityUnleashed: Well that sucks. Hope you did well on them~! I'm the most sane person you can find until I'm comfortable around someone. Then my sanity flies out the open window over there. *points in random direction* I love dark stories, and for my dark Hetalia oneshot I've been told I wrote an amazing snapped!Canada story, though at the cost of Kiku-kun... *tears up* I AM SO SORRY, JAPAN! I try not to repeat myself as much as possible simply because of how annoying it would be for my readers to have to read it. I mean, who wants to read someone's story when it practically repeats itself over and over and over? I mean, there are some ideas to stories that I can totally understand being repeated (ex. in Hetalia, Canada being forgotten...) I hope this story is one of them!**

**Jazzy Girl kataanlover: Ooooops... *blushes* Sooorry... I didn't really do any research on it, though... Besides, there was one book that I read where they were reincarnated as husband and wife, so that's where I based it off of... And usually the author of those books does a lot of research and gets the mythology right. I really don't care for flames, I sit back, read them, then laugh at how pitiful people are.**

**je buurman: Thanks! I really don't want to be like other stories, though I do recommend the story Reading the AJ Potter series by chinapps22, it's one of the most different stories that I have ever read for the Read the Books stories on this site. Though you do have to note that it is a major bashing story, as well as AJ(femHarry) being a year older than everyone else. Fleur and Malfoy... Nah, Malfoy could never bring himself to marry someone that isn't entirely human, so no, they won't be getting together.**

**mythlover92: Oh wow... *blushes* Why thank you! Seriously, I take your review as a serious compliment! I would love to read your version of a femHarry Reads the Books story. Dorea and Sirius have more of a brother/sister relationship because of their mentalities, Dorea's mentality being closer to 20 years old while Sirius' is closer to 16.**

**DarkestRevelation: Well, conversations with people over the internet are always fun - especially ones with Cleverbot. Did you know you can actually flirt with Cleverbot? You just need to type in something like *smile* and it goes from there. I've even have Cleverbot tell me that it loves me before :D ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... *hides in corner* Forever alone...**

**~O~O~O~**

The Monday after Halloween and Samhain was hectic. Word had spread quickly that Umbridge had attacked both Dorea and Harry after the party, causing Bill to escort Dorea literally everywhere - he drew the line on entering Dorea's bedroom while she was changing and the girl's loo, though. Dorea had begun to grow fond of walking around with Bill's arm either around her shoulder or her waist, and the few times that they kissed in public was when Dorea was attending Sirius' and Remus' DADA class. She found it extremely entertaining that Remus was also hired for the joint DADA position simply because he would be able to control Sirius. Her mother had taken over the job of Potions Professor when it was revealed how unsuited Snape really was for teaching the young students, instead he was taking care of the NEWT level students that actually knew how to brew a potion.

Over the past week Dorea had been forced to check her goblet at every meal in case Malfoy attempted to slip her a Love Potion. The first time that happened, Hogwarts had shattered the goblet and alerted Dorea to what had happened. Since then, she had become extremely paranoid about who she accepted food or beverages from - Ron had almost teased her by saying that she was becoming like Moody, only for Bill to tell Ron that she was cautious because she had nearly been given a Love Potion. Needless to say, that rumour spread like wildfire and almost no one outside of the Order or the Circle neared Dorea at meal times.

Umbridge's arrest had gone smoothly, but because she was the owner of the books, no matter how Lucius Malfoy insisted otherwise, she was allowed to remain at the school in order to hear the readings. She was under constant surveillance by Madam Bones, as well as a Magical Restraint being placed on her that blocked her ability to manipulate her magic. She still had access to it, but she had as much control over it as a newborn infant, meaning to say, none at all.

Early in the morning, close to 7:30 am, Michaela was sitting in her bathroom, staring at the silver knife in her hand. It would be so easy, to break the skin and watch as her memories and pain bled out onto the floor... But every time she held the knife to her skin, she saw Charlie's face. He was looking at her with such brokenness, such sadness, all because she had cut again...

She placed the knife down.

Maybe she would some other day.

**~O~O~O~ LATER - GREAT HALL ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was happily sitting on Bill's lap, snuggling up with the love of her life. She had told Bill about her inheritance and how she was nervous about how everyone would react when they found out that she was Lady Slytherin. Bill, much to her relief, just laughed it off and said that if they did anything against her because of that then he would beat and hex them to a blood pulp for hurting his girl. The day after he had taken her to Gringotts so that she could claim the family rings of all the other Houses that she had inherited. She was planning on completely disowning Voldemort from the Slytherin family line, but she would have to wait a week in order to do that. According to the laws set by Magick surrounding the Rights by Conquest, she had to wait a week after claiming the title to give time for anyone challenging her for the right to be Lady or Lord Slytherin. Once the week was up, however, she could disown Voldemort from the Family, magically and blood wise. In short, she had to wait a week before she could turn Voldemort into a muggleborn that can't speak Parseltongue. Only a week and the man that discredited Parselmouths all throughout Britain would be the thing that he hated the most.

Dorea was pulled from her thoughts when Madam Bones, dragging Umbridge with her, finally entered the Hall for the reading today. Sneering at everyone, especially Dorea and the centaurs, Umbridge sat down in her seat as though she ruled the world. It was apparant that she was under the impression that she would get away with everything she had done - unfortunately for her, she had no idea that Dorea alone held the most seats for the Wizengamot in all of history, and being Lady Peverell meant that, if she saw fit, she could overturn any Wizengamot decrees in a heartbeat, as the Peverell Family has been around even longer than the story of Merlin had been, and the Three oldest ancestors in the Peverell family tree had aided King Arthur's father in setting up his kingdom.

After a short pause as a few people finished their breakfasts, Bill poking and prodding Dorea into eating one last bit of fruit, Madam Bones stood up and cleared her throat.

"Who would like to read the next chapter?" she asked, holding up the book. Everyone but Narcissa missed the fact that Lucius winced at the sight of those books, causing the blond woman to sigh. Would her husband never learn that it was best to simply leave well enough alone? After all, the three strangers had warned everyone that they had enchanted the books so that no one outside of those here today could hear it. Much to everyone's surprise, Bane trotted over to the witch.

"I will read the human script, if you'd like." he offered, his eye twitching ever so slightly. He was only offering to read because Erador had threatened him that if he didn't do something to aid the relations between the tribe and the Champion then he would be cast away.

Handing the book to the centaur, Madam Bones watched nervously as the wild creature opened the book to the marked page. She wasn't stupid - she could tell that the centaur was angry at something. She just hoped that he would act out against it at the moment...

~**CHAPTER NINE - THE WRITING ON THE WALL ~ **Bane read, suddenly reminding everyone of the last chapter. Bill wrapped his arms around Dorea and held her close - she had been so close to the monster, she had just missed it...

Lucius, however, was angry over the fact that the monster had only gotten a cat. A bloody cat! It was a basilisk, and its first victim that year had been a cat?! It hadn't even managed to kill anyone!

~ "**What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd.~**

No one could suppress their flinch. Seeing that would be hard on Filch, that thrice damned cat was the only thing he had...

~**Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.~**

"As much as I hate saying this, I pity the bloke." Ron murmured to Susan, who nodded in agreement. No one should have to see the only thing that they care about in the world in the state the Mrs. Norris was in.

~**"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. And his popping eyes fell on Dorea.~**

"Blame my daughter and I'll have your head." Lily swore, glaring daggers at the filthy caretaker. Bill couldn't help but smirk as he saw Filch cringe, his mother may look like a sabre-tooth tiger then she's angry, but Lily resembled a lioness when she was enfuriated.

~**"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"~**

"Touch her and I'll rip you to shreds." Bill snarled. Filch was currently attempting to hide in the shadows in the corner of the room. It would be safer there, anyway.

~**"**_**Argus**_**!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Dorea, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.~**

"Good decision, make less of a fuss over the fact and calm the nervous students." Moody nodded to his old friend. Dumbledore certainly knew what he was doing when it came to this school, but when he thought about it, not nearly as much as Dorea knew what she was doing. Though, that might contribute to her being Hogwarts' Champion...

~**"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Ms. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."**

**Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.~**

"Of course he did." Dante rolled his eyes, smiling as Blaise snorted and grabbed his hand. Dorea couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, was Blaise Zabini gay? If so, he and Dante would make such a cute couple...

**~"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free -"~**

"You mean to tell me he was actually _useful_?" Lily asked in shock.

~**"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.**

**The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.**

**As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Dorea saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.~**

Bane was forced to stop reading, a wild grin on his face, as every living being (save Umbridge and the Dursleys) and ghost in the Hall burst into hysterical laughter at the thought. Hair curlers, dear God! After close to 10 minutes, Bane was able to read one again.

~**The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.~**

"That's a good idea, stay out of the way in case someone decides to hex Lockhart." Sirius nodded solemnly, as though he had seriously considered the idea of it happening. Though, since Snape was in the room, it was a very likely possibility.

~**The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile.~**

"The way that Lockhart was acting was ridiculous, I knew that he hadn't been able to cast his way out of a wet paper bag in school." Snape muttered for those around him to hear.

~**And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.**

**"It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture~**

"That's a curse used to slowly kill a Squib, dimwit." Dan snarled. He only knew that because his cousin had threatened him with it when he was 10 and his cousin was 18.

~**- I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter curse that would have saved her..."~**

"There is no counter curse, it's designed specifically to drain a Squib of any magic in their system and release it into the ambient magic in the air. If it were the Transmorgrif Torture then it would give the caster any magic that the Squib had in their system instead of just simply releasing it." Dan explained icily. If there was one thing he knew by heart, it was each and every single spell, potion, or enchantment of any kind that could harm a Squib, be it barely harm or fatally.

~**Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs.**

**He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as she detested Filch, Dorea couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, since Mrs. Norris was really the only thing that he cared about, though it wasn't nearly as sorry as she felt for herself if Dumbledore believe Filch - she would be expelled for sure.~**

The faint look of pride that Molly had when she heard that Dorea felt bad for Filch faded the moment that Bane read how Dorea felt more sorry for herself. Honestly, she never knew that Dorea could be so selfish!

~**Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.~**

"Unless she were in rigour mortis, she wouldn't be like that. She must be petrified." Michaela nodded, having seen many petrifications during her time with her Clan. _Though, I probably won't be going back to them now_, she thought as she looked up at a beaming Charlie.

**~"...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou,"~**

"That was Alsace, and it was when a rival Clan decided to use enchantments from Sirens to attack us." Galandriel snapped, glaring at Naomi. Dan saw the glare and how Naomi flinched under it, his eyes widening. Dante said that she smelt like the sea - _was Naomi part siren_?

~**said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..."~**

"Oh please, it was a potion given to our Clan by an Earth Elf Clan that undid the petrification, not that _baiseur incompétent_." Elront growled, causing Madam Delacour to gasp and cover Gabrielle's ear.

"Monsieur, please watch 'our language!" she muttered, while Galandriel swatted her Mate over the head and scolded him on how he was the reason that Michaela had such a foul mouth and Michalea translated what her grandfather said to Charlie, who could only laugh at her grandfather calling Lockhart an incompetent fucker.

**~The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.~**

Snorts rang out all around the room as those who had been pro-Lockhart last week were beginning to see the man for who he really was.

~**At last Dumbledore straightened up.**

**"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.**

**Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.**~

"Grand total of one, since he knocked himself out and prevented me from killing him." Dorea grumbled, making Lily and James fall over in laughter as Bill kiss his girlfriend. Dorea couldn't help but blush and smile, not noticing as Fleur sat seething in rage near the end of the sofa, thanks to her not fully being welcome there anymore.

~**"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"~**

"Petrification, meaning that she's a statue until she's given a Mandrake Draught." Susan said as she checked her nails, leaning a little on a blushing Ron. Molly's eyes narrowed at the sight, cocky little bint...

~**"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart).~**

Daphne gasped in mock shock.

"He can _think_?" she asked, causing everyone that had a sense of humour to fall over laughing. Once things began to calm down, Bane began to read once again.

~**"But how, I cannot say..."**

**"Ask her!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear stained to Dorea. "She did it, she did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what she wrote on the wall!~**

"Is it worth noting that she didn't have blood on her?" Sierra asked in a falsely innocent voice.

~**She found - in my office - she knew I'm a - I'm a-" Filch's face worked horribly. "She knows that I'm a Squib!" he finished.~**

Dan slammed his forehead against the table in front of him.

"You're bitter against the students because you're a _Squib_?!" he asked incredulously. "Did you ever stop and think that, because of the way that you were treated as a child, and are now treating magical children the _exact same way_, that it only furthers the bias against Squibs and will only do damage to the future?!" he screamed, glaring at Filch with his now cold blue-grey eyes. "Karma's a bitch, and I have to say, with the way that you were treating the students at this school then Mrs. Norris deserved what happened to her."

Filch could only stare at Dan, another Squib, in shock. He - that - _that stupid little brat_! He had _no_ _idea_ what Filch had gone through; he didn't know the pain that he had suffered! These stupid little brats at this school _deserved_ the way that he treated them, they were asking for it!

~**"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Dorea said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at her, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "I don't have any blood on me - which I would have if I actually had done that to Mrs. Norris, nor am I wet from washing any blood off of me - and I don't even know what a Squib is!"~**

Remus glared darkly at Filch.

"Did you even _look_ at the evidence before you jumped to conclusions?" he growled, his eyes glowing amber. James and Sirius exchanged nervous glances, Moony was angry and so was Remus. "Everything that Dorea just said there is true, she was raised by muggles and everyone at this school knows it, meaning that she had no idea what a Squib was at the time. She isn't a biased bastard like you are, just look at the people that she's hanging around with - at least one child from each of the Hogwarts Houses, a first in Hogwarts History since the Founder's Era. She would never judge someone based off of their blood status or what House they were in - she judges them based off how they treat others." Remus snarled, and Charlie decided to jump in.

"I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know that people like Dorea are my bosses over at the Reserve in Romania. I'm partners and best mates with a Slytherin that graduated three years before me, we're both friends with several muggleborns that've introduced us to a variety of things in the muggle world, and our bosses are from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Excluding the Ministry of the Magical United Kingdom, blood status means nothing in the real world. Hell, there are even some Squibs that work in the Day Care Centre at the Reserve for Tamers that have families!" he exclaimed, waving his arms with clear enthusiasm in rant. "Honestly, you'd think that you were raised in another millenium with the bias that you hold! If anyone is allowed to be biased against anyone, it's Dorea against the Dursleys for how they've treated her all these years, and only because _they_ were the ones treating her so horribly! It's not like she takes it out on every muggle that she sees!" Michaela smiled up at Charlie, who was blushing furiously as he realized that he had just ranted his annoyance out on the man that had ruined most of his Hogwarts experiences.

Filch sunk back into the corner, grumbling under his breath about uncouth and illogical children, not knowing that Dumbledore was planning his expulsion from the grounds as he spoke.

~**"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"**

**"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Dorea's sense of foreboding increased; she was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.**

**"Potter and her friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said,~**

"I'm willing to bet that he didn't think Dorea was strong enough to petrify someone." George said, wrapping his arm around a blushing Hermione's shoulders. Molly smiled at the sight - Hermione was definitely someone that she approved of for her boys, especially for one of the twins. She knew that Hermione and George had been getting closer since the Samhain Ball, she was simply hoping that they would start dating soon.

~**a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was she in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't she at the Halloween feast?"~**

"Because I heard the monster speaking parseltongue and panicked over the fact that it wanted to kill someone. I think a better question is why wasn't Mrs. Norris with Filch, to be honest." Dorea deadpanned, causing the misfits to burst into giggles as they remembered the amount of times she would speak like that to Dudley, only for the insult to fly right over his fat head.

~**Dorea****, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. "... There were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there -"**

**"But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"**

**Ron and Hermione looked at Dorea.~**

James sighed.

"And you've just made it obvious that she's going to lie about why she was there. Always act natural, and looking at someone when a question is asked, especially when you're trying to cast suspicion off of yourself, is _not_ _natural_." he explained, making both Ron and Hermione flush in embarrassment. Oops...

~**"Because - because -" Dorea said, her heart thumping very fast; something told her it would sound very far-fetched if she told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but she could hear.~**

Moody nodded, they probably would have wanted to check her to see if she had been hallucinating due to the cold of the ghosts if she told them that.

**~"Because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," she said.**

**"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."**

**"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble.~**

"Well, considering the food that was there, any human would lose their appetite, no matter how hungry they really are." Lily said logically as everyone else snickered over how Ron's stomach had the worst timing they had seen in a long tme.

~**Snape's nasty smile widened.**

**"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said.** **"It might be a good idea if she were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."~**

"You only feel that way because Slytherin always loses as long as she's playing!" James snapped, causing Oliver to snort.

"It's not just them that loses when Dorea's playing, Dorea's only ever lost one match due to circumstances out of her control. Everyone loses to Dorea." he could then be heard murmuring something about stupid Dementors and how they ruin everything.

**~"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."~**

"You were only saying that because you didn't want to risk Gryffindor's chances at the Quidditch Cup that year." Snape growled. McGonagall simply smiled at him mischievously.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of the Quidditch Cup being polished in my office at the moment. What was that you just said?" she asked, earning cheers from the Gyrffindors, both past and present, over Gyrffindor FINALLY winning the Quidditch Cup.

~**Dumbledore was giving Dorea a searching look. His twinkling light blue gaze made Dorea feel as though she were being X-rayed.~**

Sirius couldn't help but narrow his eyebrows at that sentence. He knew Dumbledore wouldn't use Legilimency on his pup, but that didn't mean that it wasn't possible that someone was using it on her. Most likely Snape.

~**"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.**

**Snape looked furious. So did Filch.**

**"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"~**

"You're punishment is that the Chamber of Secrets has been open. That good enough for you?" Bbill snarled, glaring icily at Filch. James and Lily, however, were glaring at Snape. That bastard was taking out his anger towards James on Dorea, an innocent girl who was not the reason behind her father's behavior as a child!

~**"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."**

**"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"~**

"Bull shit, he couldn't even put a cauldron over the flame properly, let alone brew a potion." Lily snarled, while Daphne shook her head.

"I can't believe he was stupid enough to say that in front of Snape." she muttered, causing those that heard her to nod in agreement. That ponce was lucky that Snape didn't shove a vial of poison down his throat that instant.

~**"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe **_**I**_** am the Potions master at this school."~**

"Ooooooh, peeved Snivelly is bad for Lockhart!" Sirius sang happily, causing most of the Hall to laugh, much to Snape's rage.

~**There was a very awkward pause.**

**"You may go," Dumbledore said to Dorea, Ron, and Hermione.**

**They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Dorea squinted at her friends' darkened faces.**

**"D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"**

**"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."~**

"If only you had been able to find out about your heritage, you wouldn't have been nearly as surprised." James sighed. "You would have been more prepared for when you arrived at Hogwarts in case something strange were to happen."

~**Something in Ron's voice made Dorea ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"**

**"'Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But -you must admit it's weird ..."**

**"I know it's weird," said Dorea. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's **_**that**_** supposed to mean?"**

**"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once... Might've been Bill..."~**

Bill nodded.

"Yeah, that would've been me."

~**"And what on earth is a Squib?" said Dorea, heart pounded at the oldest Weasley's name.~**

Bill couldn't help but smirk.

"You wouldn't happen to have been in love with me before we 'officially' met, would you have?" he teased, making Dorea flush a bright red as she turned away. James could only beam at his daughter - the Soul Bonds that she had with Bill were strong, if just hearing his name before she remembered meeting made her heart pound the way that it sounded like it did.

~**To her surprise, Ron stifled a snicker.~**

Needless to say, Ron was slapped by both Hermione and Susan for that, as well as getting scolded by Dan for how he responded to that question.

~**"Well - it's not **_**funny**_** really - but as it's Filch,"~**

"Well, I can understand that side of it..." Susan muttered, thinking about it for a minute. It also explained a lot about why Filch treated students the way that he did, and it was just like Dan said. Abuse leads to more abuse.

~**he said. "A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."**

**A clock chimed somewhere.**

**"Midnight," said Dorea. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."~**

No one gave Snape the chance to defend himself as they all glared at him.

"You would have and you know it, Snivellus." Lily snapped, feeling absolute hatred towards the man that was once her best friend. Snape put on a mask of indifference, hiding the pain that came with the woman that he so desperately loved hating him.

~**For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back.**

**Dorea had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.**

**When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly' and "looking happy."~**

Dumbledore looked at Filch with a disappointed and angry look on his face.

"Argus, you are no longer allowed to give out detentions because of your abuse of that power. Any and all detentions that you want to give out must be cleared out with either myself, Minerva, or Dorea." he announced, causing all the students that had been victim of Filch's ridiculous detentions in the past to cheer. Lucius, however, just looked angry. Stupid Potter, stupid Hogwarts making her its Champion, stupid Dumbledore...

~**Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover.~**

Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"Even I don't like that cat." she said with distaste.

~**"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her." Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking -" Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.~**

Ron flinched violently at his past words - that was really the worst thing that he could have said.

~**The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Nor could Dorea and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.**

**Dorea had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made her stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.~**

"For no reason." Dorea grumbled, causing Dumbledore to actually _glare_ at Snape. The Potions Master just sat there in shock - Dumbledore, the man that can't say no to any sweet you offer him, just _glared_ at him.

~**After a hurried lunch, she went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming toward her. Dorea had just opened her mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of her, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction.~**

"It wasn't you that I was running from, Snape was coming out of the dungeons behind you and he looked angry." Justin reassured as he joined Sally-Anne and Susan in the Circle, sitting next to Harry.

~**Dorea found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three foot-long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."**

**"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short!" said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "And Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny. "**

**"Where is she?" asked Dorea, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling her own homework.**

**"Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."~**

Hermione jokingly whacked Ron's shoulder as the Hall couldn't help but laugh, it certainly seemed like something that Hermione would do.

~**Dorea told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from her.**

**"Dunno why you care. I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that junk about Lockhart being so great -"**

**"Yeah, but you need to remember that he's a muggleborn, Ron. A muggleborn that hadn't yet been forced to stay in the same room as that idiot for an hour." Dorea reminded him.**

**Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.**

**"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Dorea and Ron. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."~**

Most of the Hall looked annoyed at the expensive reminder. Luckily, Dorea had reimbursed all the families that needed the money that had been used to buy those books, so no real harm had been done.

~**"Why do you want it?" said Dorea. "I thought you had that book memorised."**

**"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."**

**"What's that?" said Dorea quickly.**

**"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else -"**

**"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.**

**"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it -"**

**"I only need another two inches, come on -"**

**The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.~**

"Like they always are." Dorea sighed, more than just a little annoyed at all the fighting that those two did. It was like they were on opposite wings in a political situation and Dorea was stuck right dab center of it all.

~**History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard.**

**Ancient and shrivelled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead.~**

"How could I not notice that I died? I knew the moment I left my body that I was dead." Binns said, silver eye twitching in annoyance.

~**He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since. Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before.**

**Hermione put up her hand.~**

"You genius girl! Who better than to ask than the History professor?" Remus beamed, happy of the new Moonlette. Since the Trio had accepted the offer to become the Maraudlettes, James, Sirius, and Remus had been teaching the three all they knew in the pranking spectrum, and had been on the receiving end of some wicked pranks themselves.

~**Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.**

**"Miss - er -?"**  
**  
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.**  
**  
Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk.~**

The Hall couldn't help but laugh. They weren't laughing at the Gryffindors, but rather with them, as they would most definitely would have done the same thing if Hermione had asked that question in their class.

~**Professor Binns blinked.**  
**  
"My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers…"**  
**  
He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.**  
**  
"Miss Grant?"**

**"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"**

**Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Dorea was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.~**

The ghosts that had been haunting the school before Binns arrived nodded. Dorea was correct about that.

~**"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "Yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale -"~**

"Where all but why Slytherin left and why he detested muggles is true." Dorea interrupted. "Slytherin's wife had been a muggleborn, when her brother found out that she was a witch and that her husband was a wizard he led a witch hunt against them, burning his own sister at the stake. She had been 7 months pregnant at the time as well, so it's obvious as to why Salazar Slytherin was wary of the muggle relations that muggleborns had. Slytherin and Gryffindor were best of friends but they fought over everything, like Ron and Hermione do. Whenever the fight got too large one of the two would have to leave the castle in order to cool down. During these times they would help out nearby villages with problems that they might have. One time, when Slytherin left the castle, he found his late wife's brother and killed him in revenge for the deaths of his wife and unborn child. Once it got out what he had done, he was forced to flee the country. 5 years after he left England, he was killed by the plague. No fancy fight-to-the-death between Gryffindor and Slytherin, just an argument that led to Slytherin leaving the castle for a short amount of time and getting revenge." Dorea explained, looking at Baron Williams for confirmation. Both he and the Gray Lady nodded, causing everyone to stare at the three in wonder.

"Wait, so Slytherin wasn't a blood purist?" Daphne asked. Lady Helena snorted.

"Oh heavens no, he was the child of a halfblood witch and a muggleborn wizard." she announced, causing everyone to freeze at the revelation. Salazar Slytherin hadn't been a pureblood, and he hadn't hated muggleborns. He was wary of muggles because they had killed his wife and unborn child. Those... Were really good reasons to be wary of muggleborns.

After a long, awkward pause, Bane continued reading.

**~But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Dorea could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.**

**"Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see... The Chamber of Secrets...You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.~**

The cheering for the four Founders was loud enough that the windows began to rattle slightly.

~**They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."**  
**He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.**

**"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy.~**

"When you think about what happened to his wife, that makes total sense." Ginny nodded. "They would be teaching children, who are naive and trusting towards their parents. One slip of the tongue and they would be burning at the stake faster than you could say Lumos."

~**After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."~**

The Gray Lady snorted once again.

"The argument that led towards Slytherin leaving and finding his brother-in-law was over which colour was better for Celeste's ball gown, lilac or turquoise." she muttered, causing Dorea to giggle into the back of her hand. "Lord Godric and Lord Salazar cared for Celeste as though they had both given birth to her, extremely protective and wanting her to look the best she could possibly look." Dorea grinned at the ghost.

"What colour did she end up wearing?" Dorea asked innocently. Lady Helena couldn't help but smirk at the question.

"She ended up wearing a saffron gown."

~**Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.~**

Bill laughed hard, holding his stomach.

"Love, your imagination is one of your best traits, have I ever told you that?" he asked. Hermione grinned at her friend.

"Remember the one time last year when we were sitting in the Common Room and you said what animal each person there looked like? What was Ron again... A chipmunk?" she asked, making Ron let out a loud "Oi!" as his best friends laughed at his expense.

~**"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."~**

"Bull _shit_, ("_LANGUAGE_!" Lily scolded while James and Bill just laughed. The mother was fighting a losing battle there.) _total_ bull right there. The monster was to used as a last resort to protect the school, not to hunt down its students!" Dorea snarled, angered at the idea of people thinking such blasphemy of her ancestor.

~**There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.**

**"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course,"~**

Dorea snorted.

"Try saying that after this book is done." she chortled as Ron and Hermione snickered. Three second year students not only found the Chamber, but also what was in it and defeated the monster.

~**he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."~**

"It's very real, I've been in it." Dorea snapped, causing everyone to blink in surprise. Wait, what did she say?

**~Hermione's hand was back in the air.**

**"Sir - what exactly do you mean by the `horror within' the Chamber?"~**

Dorea's face grew dark at the mention.

"A monster far worse than you could ever think of." she muttered, rubbing the scar on her left arm that the basilisk fang left. Even with Fawkes crying on the wound, the basilisk venom had still left a mark that would remain there forever.

~**"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.**

**The class exchanged nervous looks.**

**"I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."~**

Hermione, Ron, Dorea, and Ginny all let out humourless laughs. Not real their arses.

~**"But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"~**

"Not the true Heir, just an Heir." Dorea sang, twirling a bit of her hair. All you needed was Parseltongue~...

~**"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"**

**"But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"~**

"Wrong." Hermione said, smirking at Parvati's shocked face.

"And how would you know, Granger?" Lavender snapped. Dorea snickered.

"Because I told her how we got into the Chamber, that's how." she said almost cruelly. Suddenly the adults who had no idea that Hermione had been petrified exchanged nervous glances - why would Dorea have to _tell_ Hermione about it? Wouldn't she have seen it for herself?

~**"Just because a wizard **_**doesn't**_** use Dark Magic doesn't mean he **_**can't**_**, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns.** **"I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"**

**"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -"~**

"AND BINGO WAS HIS NAME-O!" Dorea and Hermione sang out loud, causing the muggleborns and muggle raised that understood what the two meant laugh.

**~ began Dean Thomas, but Professor** **Binns had had enough.**

**"That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"~**

"The Chamber is very much real, professor. I've seen it, I've discovered it, and I know what its monster was. Do not write off something just because it is a myth, especially in the wizarding world." Dorea said darkly, glaring at the silver ghost that was her History of Magic professor.

~**And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.**

**"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron~**

"Excuse me." Dorea and James both snarled, glaring at Ron. "Watch whose ancestor and family you badmouth."

~**told Dorea and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home ..."~**

Ron flinched extremely violently.

"I'm sorry, Rea..." he muttered, not that Dorea could hear him.

**~Hermione nodded fervently,~**

"You were more understandable, Malfoy would have slaughtered you if you were in his House." Dorea pointed out, hurt written all across her face. "But... Ron..." she sighed, not able to bring herself to say it. That Ron was just as prejudiced as the Slytherins like Malfoy were, and the fact that he said that had broke some of the trust that she had in him.

~**but Dorea didn't say anything. Her stomach had just dropped unpleasantly as she thought about her Sorting.**

**Dorea had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting her in Slytherin. She could remember, as though it were yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in her ear when she'd placed the hat on her head a year before: **_**"You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that..."**_**But Dorea, who had already heard of Slytherin House's reputation for turning out Dark wizards, as well as Malfoy being in that House, had thought desperately, **_**Not Slytherin!**_** and the hat had said, **_**"Oh, well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor..."**_

**As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past.**

**"Hiya, Dorea!"**

**"Hullo, Colin," said Dorea automatically.~**

Colin's friends couldn't help but snicker, that must be a little embarrassing to think about, that Colin pestered her so much that she had grown to automatically saying hello to whenever she saw him.

~**"Dorea - Dorea - a boy in my class has been saying you're…"**

**But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; **  
**they heard him squeak, "See you, Dorea!" and he was gone.**

**"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.**

**"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Dorea, her stomach dropping another inch or so as she suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.~**

Justin winced, Snape had had really bad timing there. It wasn't his fault that the Potions Professor terrified him!

~**"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.~**

Dorea and Hermione sent Ron glares that were mentally killing him.

"Hello Mr. Pot," Hermione began.

"They're the Kettles," Dorea continued.

"You're all black." the two finished together, making everyone who understood the phrase twitch in anger. What did Ron believe and when?

~**The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.**

**"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.**

**"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well – human."~**

"It wasn't." Ron, Dorea, Hermione, and Ginny all confirmed.

~**As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The** **Chamber of Secrets has been Opened."**

**"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered.**

**They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.**

**"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Dorea,~**

The Hall couldn't help but laugh. Once a detective, always a detective. Dorea would certainly make an amazing Auror or Curse Breaker, since detective skills were required to break into the tombs and fight your way past any defences.

~**dropping her bag and getting to her hands and knees so that she could crawl along, searching for clues.**

**"Scorch marks!" she said. "Here - and here -"**

**"Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny..."**

**Dorea got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.~**

Moody raised an eyebrow, now what kind of serpent were spiders afraid of? He couldn't think of any, but then again, COMC had never been his strong spot...

~**"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.**

**"No," said Dorea, "have you, Ron? Ron?"**

**She looked over her shoulder. Ron was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.~**

"I wasn't, but I also wasn't planning on getting any closer to them." Ron said, up until Aragog his fear of spiders had been tolerable. Now it was just horrible.

~**"What's up?" said Dorea.**

**"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron tensely.**

**"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times ..."**

**"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move..."**

**Hermione giggled.~**

Michaela narrowed her eyes.

"That's a little rude, laughing at what your friend is scared of. He didn't laugh at you when you were scared of flying." she scolded, causing Hermione to duck her head sheepishly. Oops...

Sierra and Neville, on the opposite side of the sofa, were whispering something to each other and nodding. Not wanting to know what they were planning, Bane continued reading.

~**"It's not funny," said Ron, fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick ... You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and..." He broke off, shuddering.~**

"I was five and it was accidental magic, mum reversed it the moment she saw it!" Fred defended himself, glaring at his younger brother. Ron had always been the most dramatic out of all the members of the Weasley family, which was why he and George pranked him the most. That and Ron was always ratting him out to their mother.

~**Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.**

**Feeling they had better get off the subject, Dorea said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."**

**"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door."**

**He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.**

**"What's the matter?" said Dorea.**

**"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet."~**

Everyone couldn't help but laugh, the last time that Ron had been in a girls' toilet was saving Hermione.

~**"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look." And ignoring the large OUT of ORDER sign, she opened the door.**

**It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Dorea had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges. Dorea couldn't help but smile at the sight, though, since it was just the way that Myrtle liked it.~**

"Really?" Hermione asked in shock. Dorea shrugged.

"She keeps it that way to prevent someone else from dying the way that she did, or course I would smile at that idea." she explained.

~**Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off toward the end stall. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"**

**Dorea and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin. Her eyes lightened up at the sight of Dorea, but were settled on a glare towards Hermione.**

**"This is a girls' bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron suspiciously. "He's not a girl."**

**"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how er - nice it is in here."~**

Myrtle and Dorea both snorted, Hermione couldn't lie to save her life back then.

~**She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.**

**"Ask her if she saw anything," Ron mouthed at Hermione.**

**"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.**

**"Nothing," said Ron quickly. "We wanted to ask -"**

**"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead -"**

**"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Ron only -"**

**"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!" Dorea shook her head at her ghostly friend's antics, Myrtle would have been an amazing actress with how dramatic she was.**

**"We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."**

**"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Dorea kindly.**

**"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself.** **Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm "**

**"Already dead," said Ron helpfully. Dorea sent him an exasperated look for his lack of tact.~**

A look that once again was sent Ron's way.

~**Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.~**

"Well, you were right about her dramatics." Daphne said, blinking. She had avoided that bathroom at all costs after one of the older years had warned her of it during their first week at the castle.

~**Ron just stood there with his mouth hanging open, but Hermione simply shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle..." This earned Hermione a cold glare from Dorea, the brunette had no idea how Myrtle really was when she was cheerful. The ghost just hated people that talked about others behind their backs, was all. "****Come on, let's go."**

**Dorea had barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump.**

**"RON!"**

**Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.**

**"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you -?"**

**"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know -"**

**Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Dorea forcefully, and almost unpleasantly, of Mrs. Weasley.~**

Molly looked shocked.

"What - why - what do you mean, almost unpleasantly?" Molly demanded, glaring at Dorea. Lily rolled her eyes and glared at Molly.

"Maybe because you aren't the perfect mother you try to be and can be a controlling little bitch, have you thought about it that way?" she snapped. Molly's glare turned to Lily.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion, Potter." the Weasley Matriarch spat. "And in case you forgot, _I_ was there for Dorea when _you_ weren't." This went over the line for Dorea, who had been perfectly content with staying away from the arguing mothers.

"Because she was murdered while protecting me, in case _you_ forgot that little detail!" Dorea was shaking with a reasonable, in everyone's opinion, rage. Who wouldn't be angry if someone implied that your mother wasn't as good as they were? "And in case you've have forgotten, _you_ treat Fred and George horribly, so don't you _start_ on my mother!" Arthur placed a hand on Molly's shoulder as Sirius and Remus cast Silencing Charms and Sticking Charms on both Molly and Lily to keep them in their seats and silent, so as to prevent a fight from breaking out.

Bane decided that it would be a good idea to continue reading, seeing as how he didn't want murder to happen in front of him or the colts in his tribe.

~**"Get - away - from - there -" Perry said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner -"~**

"Everyone was suspicious of Dorea because she was the first one to find Mrs. Norris, I was worried that it would only further those suspicions." Percy defended himself. Dorea couldn't help but smile at Percy, he was much more like his father than anyone thought.

~**"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"**

**"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "But she still seems to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of her, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business -"**

**"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were now reddening. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy -"~**

"I actually paid attention to Ginny that year, Ron, she was horribly upset over what happened. Percy was making a good point as well, it would look horrible if someone were to find out that we went back there. There's a muggle saying that the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, which I'm sure the muggleborns would've shared with everyone if people found out that we returned there." Hermione pointed out, making Ron flush in embarrassment as Percy sighed. Finally someone who defended him!

~**"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge.** **"And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I'll write to Mum!"~**

"That was low, but it was reasonable. I mean, you should have contacted her and told her about what was going on, but still, the threat itself was a low blow." Fred said, looking at his older brother. The back of Percy's burned bright red as he murmured something under his breath, that Jessica Diggory(Amos' wife) could make out as "I wouldn't have actually done it, you know..."

~**And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears.**

**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment. Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Dorea's surprise, Hermione followed suit.**

**"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"~**

"Let's see - he's blond, has a ratlike face, and called Hermione a mudblood." Bill suggested. Dorea snorted.

"He framed Hagrid, attempted to murder me and Ginny, and is the biggest bastard I have ever had the displeasure of meeting." she ground out, causing everyone to look at each other. Well, Malfoy did attempt to frame Hagrid in Third Year with Buckbeak, and he was a really big bastard, but he hadn't attempted to murder Dorea or Ginny, so he was out of the question...

~**"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"**

**He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.**

**"If you're talking about Malfoy -"**

**"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him - `You'll be next, Mudbloods!'- come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him -"**

**"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.~**

Dorea, Ron, and Hermione all fell over laughing while Dumbledore chuckled.

"Oh my Merlin - could you imagine him - as that bastard's son?" Dorea made out between gasps of air and hysterical laughter, while Ron and Hermione just shook their heads.

~**"Look at his family," said Dorea, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."~**

"Nah, he's not at the bastard's level yet." Dorea said innocently, causing Moody and Bill's eyes to widen comically. There was only one person more evil than a Death Eater, and that was Voldemort. Bill couldn't help but smirk - so _that_ was who Dorea was planning on casting out of the Slytherin family? He loved her diabolical mind sometimes.

**~"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son..."**

**"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible ...**

**"But how do we prove it?" said Dorea darkly.~**

Suddenly Dobby fidgeted in his seat, glancing from Lucius to the books. Dorea sent her friend an odd look, what was wrong with Dobby?

~**"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, **_**very**_** dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect -"**

**"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.**

**"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."**

**"But that's impossible," Dorea said as Ron laughed.**

**"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."~**

Snape was silently fuming while Lily and Remus looked at Hermione, pride filling their eyes. She made it, didn't she?

Moody, on the other hand, was grinning wickedly. The Granger girl made a Polyjuice Potion in her second year, she'd be a great help in the Auror Department.

~**"What's that?" said Ron and Dorea together.**

**"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago -"**

**"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.**

**"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."**

**"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?"~**

"It's a possibility, but only if you consume top much at once." Remus explained, making those who tensed up at the idea calm down. "Only one mouthful per hour should do it right."

~**"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."**

**There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.**

**"Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."~**

"Well, technically the book also contains information on the potions as well as warnings, you could pass it off as being curious about what the Polyjuice Potion did since Snape mentioned it." Remus said, the smirked at Hermione. "Though, I must admit, that idea of yours is very Slytherin-like, and a good attribute towards pranks." Hermione flushed, her opinion towards Slytherins had changed ever since she began to actually speak to the Slytherins that weren't Malfoy's sycophants.

~**"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance ..."**

**"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick..."~**

"You went to Lockhart." almost everyone in the Hall said at the same time. Molly was currently fuming silently over her son and his friends doing illegal activities as 12 year old, that was completely insane! Maybe those girls weren't such a good influence after all...

Bane marked the page and closed the book.

"That's the end of the chapter. Who would like to read next?" he asked, looking around curiously.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**FINISHED! **

**Word Count: 14,131**

**And as my apology for being late, I give thee readers A LONG CHAPTER~!**

**Review Count: 1,164**

**SWEET JESUS GUYS! THAT'S AWESOME! And it was for an interlude, too ^^ Usually you guys barely hit the review goal on the interludes, how come?**

**Review Goal: 1,210**

**JE SAIS QUE VOUS POUVEZ LE FAIRE! (in case you were wondering - I'm taking French this semester... Might take it all through high school, actually... It would look really good on a resume...) **

**THE POLL IS CLOSED PEOPLE AND I HAVE THE RESULTS! In the lead we have the Grangers with 41 votes, in second there is Pettigrew with 25 votes, close up in third and fourth is Slughorn and one Misfit parent per Misfit, and last but certainly not least we have Winky with a grand total of 16 votes! *blinks* You guys really want the Grangers to hear about what's going on, don't you? Fine, I'll being them into the readings at the beginning of the third book.**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW MES AMIES!**


	33. Book 2: Chapter 10

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Sorry for the late update guys - heavy semester this time 'round, and honestly, COULD MY MATH TEACHER **_**GIVE**_** ANY MORE HOMEWORK?!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**griffindork93: He's only teaching because he has nothing else to do - but his teaching is being watched by Dumbledore, so no worries! I do hate Snape, but that's because of how he acted towards Harry in canon up until the end. I mean, I can understand holding a grudge against him because his mother died for him, but really, Harry was not his father and Snape was treating him like how he would treat James! I've only ever really seen it done it one or two stories, and it only makes sense to me - I mean, who would want to dirty the name of Slytherin any farther by allowing him to be a part of the Slytherin line? I don't mind some stories where they give Harry a lot of names and power, mainly because the names belong to old families, but really, they should at least have him grow into it! One story I love in Harry Crow, it's where Harry was raised by goblins so he has a much different view on the world and his place in it. He's in Ravenclaw and it's a Harry/Hermione story, but it has a wonderful amount of Ron bashing and amazing Billness, so it makes me really happy ^^ Well, Molly doesn't like Susan because she doesn't act like a "lady". I find a lady is a woman who isn't afraid of being who they are and being confident with themselves, which Susan is. Molly thinks that a lady is a woman who sits around and lets the men do all the work, which Susan won't put up with. Yeah, well, in most of the RtB stories that I've read, Filch doesn't get bashed. He really should, I mean, HE THREATENED TO KILL A STUDENT! Emotionally distraught or not, he's old enough to know better! *winces* Oops... I had been using the replacement thing instead of personally changing that... Never doing that again. My definition of pureblood is someone who has at least 3 generations of magical family members in their family tree - less than that would be a halfblood, and first generations are muggleborns. That way it makes sense as to how the Slytherins would see it too.**

**bloomnskyrules: Sorry ^^ Really didn't mean to make you wait that long - neither did I mean to this time. Lots of homework + being tired as hell = slow updates. Well, honestly, it's how I see the story of Slytherin. He had to have a reason to hate muggles, and I honestly doubt that he was cast from the school because of bigotry. I would only make sense that he was out of school for some reason or another when something happened and he died. After all, it was over 1000 years in the past, humans would be sure to mix the story up after a while, especially once someone who hates Slytherin got their hands on the history book. Heh heh - well, the Molly bashing has only started! I'm gonna have a lot of fun bashing her... Well, it's was only a certain amount of time until both of those happened!**

**MistBlade8: Why thank you! I find that, since Molly was such a Lockhart fan and it was never announced as to how he lost his memory or what he did, she would still be pro-Lockhart, so there's a lot more bashing in this chapter! *smiles* And considering that I haven't read some of the later books and had to actually look up a Lethifold a few months ago in order to understand what the hell it was then I saw it in a story, that's really good! Later on there will be a Lily/Molly showdown, I'm thinking midway through the third book...**

**Laura-Shi: Yeah, it's on purpose - the actual characters in LotR are supposed to be based off of Michaela's grandparents, so I altered the names just a tad so as to prevent copyright issues over the names. Well, since this book revolves around Squibs, Dan will defend people like him, and I don't see the real Dan standing by and allowing people to insult others like him, so... Yeah! *write that down* Alright, thanks for the advice! I could certainly use some insults towards elves for the sixth book... **

**InsanityUnleashed: I know you(plural) can do it.**

**il2swim57: Ah, true, true... I'm thinking about bringing them into the readings around the 12th or 13th chapter, when the Polyjuice Potion comes into play. Winky will have a role to play in the fifth book as well, and maybe the seventh - I'm going to alter it a little to fit her it, seeing as how I hate the fact that JKR brings in a character only to dump them after they leave. I mean, I like that she brought Lockhart back into the fifth book by making him a ward at St. Mungos, but other than that she rarely mentions characters once their role is over. I mean, really, would it take to much to say "Angelina was training the team the way Wood had"? *giggles* That's so awesome! Yeah... I had a Cleverbot that turned out to be Romano from Hetalia, which then said it wanted to marry me in France... *sweatdrops* I'm not inviting Francis Bonnefoy to that wedding... (you are AWESOME if you understand the reference and who I'm talking about!) I am a slash fangirl, and am also bisexual(though I lean towards the male gender more than the female) myself, so I found that message incredibly insulting not only towards my friend, but also towards myself. I didn't want to rant, but honestly, that reviewer made me was to bash their head in with a 2p!Canada hockey stick, or maybe a 2p!America baseball bat...**

**Aida Ines Zenobia: *falls over laughing* That pose looks ridiculous! Well, of course I would! Lockhart is an idiot that needs to be proven wrong! I had fun creating those spell meanings, though... Is that a bad thing? Oh, and want to join me in using them along with that electric chair I made on the asses that insulted our Abi...? *evil grin* Molly pissed me off in canon, so I'm expressing my rage towards her through Lily getting pissed at her. YAY! THEY AWRE ADOWABLE! :3 Well, the babies will come a while after their marriage - maybe around a year after, since they're IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKIN WAR AT THE TIME! Yeppers~! They aren't together YET, more like friends-with-benefits at the moment. Yes, yes she is. Well, hopeless romantics are awesome, so... GO US! ^w^**

**~O~O~O~**

Jessica Diggory looked over at Bane.

"I'll read next." she offered. Bane trotted over to the Staff Table where the Diggorys sat to give the book to the brunette woman. She gratefully accepted the book from the centaur, and opened it to the next chapter. Upon seeing the chapter title, she winced. This would not end well.

~**CHAPTER TEN - THE ROGUE BLUDGER~ **she read aloud, causing Sirius, James, and Remus to look at Dorea in worry.

"What does it mean, rogue bludger? Don't tell me someone enchants a bludger for the next Quidditch game!" Sirius asked, panic rising into his voice. Bill tensed and gripped Dorea tightly, someone wouldn't enchant a bludger to follow her around... Would they?

~**Since the disastrous episode of the pixies, Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class. Instead, he read passages from his books to them, and sometimes re-enacted some of the more dramatic bits.~**

Dorea and all the boys who had those classes groaned, acting as though the idea of it was a serious injury.

**He usually picked Dorea to help him with these reconstructions; so far, Dorea had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.~**

Remus couldn't help but snarl.

"Vampires don't eat anything, dumbass." he stated, earning cheers from the anti-Lockharts in the Hall. Molly couldn't help but glare at Remus, and she thought that he would be a good example for her sons and for Dorea.

~**Dorea was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting a werewolf~**

Remus and Dorea both snickered while James, Sirius, and Lily all smirked. Bill chuckled and shook his head, Dorea would be able to play that roll well, considering that she had received a Cub Mark from Moony during her third year at Hogwarts.

~**If she hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, she would have refused to do it.**

**"Nice loud howl, Dorea - exactly - and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced~**

Those who had been in that class were howling with laughter.

"Lockhart," Ron stated between gasps for air and bursts of laughter. "Tried to... Actually pounce Dorea... But she jumped back... At the last second... And... And... And he slammed... Face first... Into the... The... The desk!" Susan charged herself with the duty of trying to keep Ron upright, though she was failing due to the fact that she herself was also about to die from the lack of oxygen that came with laughter.

After close to 10 minutes of everyone against Lockhart laughing full heartedly at the mental picture, Jessica continued reading, albeit chuckling herself during the next few lines.

~**-like this - slammed him to the floor - thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down - with my other, - I put my wand to his throat -I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm - he let out a piteous moan - go on, Dorea - higher than that - good - the fur vanished - the fangs shrank - and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."~**

Remus just shook his head in shame.

"There are so many things wrong with that paragraph that I don't even know where to begin. First off, werewolves have superhuman strength, seeing as how they're pretty much all muscle when it comes to their body structure." All the girls that had crushed on Remus during his teaching period at Hogwarts were practically drooling at the prospect of seeing Remus' muscles. "Secondly, the Homorphus Charm is another term for the charm that forces an animgaus to transform from their animal form back into their human form, and it's quite simple, actually. Finally, that ponce could never face a werewolf during the full moon, unless he was running away from it at top speeds." he joked, making the males and Dorea in the Circle chuckle, as they were the ones against Lockhart since their first class with him.

~**The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet.**

**"Homework - compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"**

**The class began to leave. Dorea returned to the back of the room, where Ron and Hermione were waiting.**

**"Ready?" Dorea muttered.**

**"Wait till everyone's gone," said Hermione nervously. "All right..."**

**She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Dorea and Ron right behind her.**

**"Er - Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to – to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it - I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow-acting venoms..."~**

Everyone in that Hall with a brain shook their head. Hermione did the key thing there - mention one of Lockhart's books. That would get the brainless git to sign anything, no questions asked.

~**"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favourite book. You enjoyed it?"**

**"Oh, yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer -"~**

Moody couldn't help but snort in amusement. Ghouls couldn't be trapped with a tea-strainer, all you had to do was cast an _Immobulus_ and it was caught. Problem was, the _Immobulus_ would have to be extremely powerful, since ghouls were resistant to magic below the level of Sorcerer on the Merlin scale, the scale that rated magical power. Lowest was muggle, then Squib, then just a witch or wizard, followed by Enchanter, then Sorcerer, Elementor, and finally the strongest was Mage. Moody doubted the idea that Lockhart was anything above a wizard, even then barely stronger than a Squib.

~**"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill.~**

Ron couldn't help but gag at the memory of that thing while most of the male population had looks of disgust on their faces.

~**"Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face. "I usually save it for book-signings."He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.~**

Lily had a look of complete revoltion on her face as she looked at Molly.

"You fangirled over this idiot?" she asked incredulously, causing all those in the Hall who knew the term 'fangirled' the choke on the air they were breathing. Molly, on the other hand, was one of the few that had no idea what that meant.

"I _what_?" she asked in complete confusion. Lily just shook her head slowly as she and James rubbed circles on Dorea's back, her face turning back to its regular colour from the blue that it had been due to her choking.

~**"So, Dorea," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too.~**

James and Sirius couldn't resist the urge to snort.

"We'd literally fly circles around that ponce and chuck the Quaffle at his head - and even the Slytherins would cheer us on while we did that." Sirius chuckled, grinning wickedly at a smirking Snape. If there was one thing that the Marauders and the Slytherin actually got along about at Hogwarts, it was showing Lockhart his place in life.

~**I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players... "**

**Dorea rolled her eyes as Lockhart winked at her.**

**"Yeah, because the fact that I'm the youngest Seeker in a century doesn't mean anything when it comes to skill. At all." she snarked, causing Ron to snort behind his hand as Hermione stared at the ravenette in shock. Turning on her heal, Dorea hurried off, Ron and Hermione on her heels.**

**"Dorea, that was terribly rude!" Hermione said, horrified, as the other girl wandered down the hall.**

**"Hermione, he was trying to flirt with me. He is more than twice my age - I think being rude was completely justifiable!" Dorea snapped at her friend, eye twitching. How could Hermione be so blind as to not realize what Lockhart really was?~**

Everyone nodded as James and Sirius were beaming at Dorea with pride, her response had been very Marauder-like. Bill smirked and kissed Dorea's forehead, at least she knew how to take care of herself when it came to people trying to get in her pants.

~**"But really, I don't believe it," she said as the three of them examined the signature on the note. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."**

**"That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron.~**

Ron received applause for that one comment said 3 years prior.

~**"But who cares, we've got what we needed -"**

**"He is not a brainless git," said Hermione shrilly~**

Not one person that was anti-Lockhart could contain their snorts, while those, such as Molly, who were still pro-Lockhart scowled. Sure, he wasn't as intelligent as they thought he was, and he did want Dorea for her fame, but that was it! He was a powerful wizard that actually did what he claimed to have done!

... Right?

~**as they half ran toward the library.**

**"Just because he said you were the best student of the year -"**

**They dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.~**

Dorea winced under the librarian's sharp gaze.

"Sorry... Thin with sharp features?" she tried instead, causing James to grin, Sirius to howl with laughter, and for Remus to fall to the ground laughing. She looked to Lily, who was smirking, for a translation of their reactions.

"That was exactly how your father described Madam Pince when someone asked about her." she explained, causing the rest of the Circle to join the Marauders in laughter. Like father, like daughter.

~**"Most Potent Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.**

**"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.**

**"Oh, come on," said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince while Dorea rolled her eyes and shook her head in shame. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."~**

Hermione flushed as George hugged her, she had really been blinded by Lockhart's appearance that year... Perhaps he put something into his cologne that made him more likable towards the female gender? There were gender-ized love potions that he could have used... And since Dorea has a much stronger will than anyone else in their year, perhaps even the entire school, it wouldn't have affected her unless she ingested it... Actually, that would make a lot of sense, now that she thought about it.

~**Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery, but it passed the test. She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and mouldy-looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.~**

"Dorea would have done that successfully, you two, not so much. We only started training you in that last year, Dorea we began training in her first year." Fred commented, causing Molly to fume. Honestly, could those two get any worse?

~**Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out-of order bathroom once again.**

**Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy.~**

Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley all nodded in agreement, that would certainly make a lot of sense to hide there.

~**Dorea was happy about using that restroom because she would be able to spend more time with Myrtle, who was crying noisily in her stall over Hermione's presence, but they were otherwise ignored by the overdramatic ghost.**

**Hermione opened Most Potent Potions carefully, and the three of them bent over the damp-spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations,~**

Lily and Snape both winced, they knew what illustrations that Dorea must have been talking about. Judging by Ron's pale green face and Hermione's sick one, Dorea had been the only one unaffected by the images. This idea brought tears to Lily's eyes, her baby girl was able to look at such horrible images without thinking twice. The environment that she must have been raised around must have truly been horrible for that to happen.

~**which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.~**

Many people felt sick at the mental images, they understood why Ron and Hermione themselves appeared ill. The Misfits, however, were all just nodding nonchalantly. They had seen worse before, like being forced by Dudley's gang to watch a video that Dennis had stolen from his brother's room of a man being hung with his own intestines. Or that one picture of that woman caught in a bear trap - that hadn't been pretty, and Michaela still wondered what the hell kind of person Dennis' older brother was to have those in his bedroom.

~**"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Dorea sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.**~

Ron and Hermione looked as though Dorea had grown another head when she shrugged at what the pain had been.

"I've felt worse, much, much worse." she said, fingers dancing over the scar on her right forearm. The unicorn's blood felt as though it had been melting her from the inside out once it had hit her veins...

~**"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store cupboard, we can help ourselves ... Oooh, look, powdered horn of a bicorn - don't know where we're going to get that - shredded skin of a boomslang -. that'll be tricky, too and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."~**

"Use a strand of their hair, it's the least disgusting option." Lily and Sirius both advised. Seeing the looks on the Trio's faces, that had been what they had used.

~**"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it -"~**

Everyone, including Crabbe and Goyle themselves, gagged at the idea of drinking a potion with that certain ingredient in it.

~**Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him.**

**"We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last ..."**

**Ron turned, speechless, to Dorea, who had another worry on her mind.~**

Lily sent her daughter a curious look. What had she been worried about?

~**"D'you realize how much we're going to have to **_**steal**_**, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into **_**Snape's**_** private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea, especially if he catches us..."~**

Suddenly, both sets of Twins and the Marauders paled at the idea of Dorea being caught in Snape's private stores. Molly, however, nodded in agreement with Dorea's past statement. She had been right, it was far too risky to do something like that.

~**Hermione shut the book with a snap.**

**"Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine," she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual.** **"I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in…"~**

Suddenly, Molly's eyes widened as she realized why Hermione had been pushing them into doing this. She must have been terrified, not only for herself, but for everyone like her. That much, she could understand. If she had been in Hermione's place... She shuddered at the idea of what she would have been willing to do to find out who the Heir of Slytherin was.

~**"I never thought Id see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron.**

**"All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, okay?"**

**"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.**

**"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days ... I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."~**

"A _month_?!" most of the Hall exclaimed in shock, causing the Trio to snicker as Jessica smirked.

**~"A month?" said Ron.~**

Those who had just shouted out blushed, so it looked like they weren't the only ones who thought that was a little excessive.

~** "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggleborns in the school by then!" But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and he added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say."~**

Narcissa couldn't help but nod, if her son had been in control of Slytherin's monster, he would have done the same thing that his father would have done and attack every single one of them before Christmas.

~**However, while Hermione was checking that the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom, Ron muttered to Dorea, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."~**

Almost everyone in the Hall laughed, but many blanched as they remembered that match and the enchanted bludger. They had never found out who had done that, either...

~**Dorea woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. She was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. She had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with her insides churning, she got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where she found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.~**

The Gryffindor Quidditch team nodded, their stomachs churning as they remembered that they would be facing the Bulgarians that evening. Dear Merlin, this was going to be big... They had gotten the Bulgarians to agree to using the Slytherin's brooms, except for Krum, who would also be using his Firebolt since Dorea had one as well. Hell, Dumbledore was allowing WWN and technorecorders to come to record and broadcast the match over the WWN and the technovision!

~**As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Dorea good luck as she entered the locker rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, and then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.**

**"Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers -" ("Too true," muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August")~**

"And I wouldn't want to practice any other way." George said finally as everyone laughed at his comment. It had been those practices that made him and the rest of the Gryffindor team the players and teammates that they were today, the team that would be the first amateurs to face off against a professional team. They had been practicing even more than ever, with Wood even training Ron to be the best Keeper that he could be, to play this one match that could make or break their careers.

**~ "- and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."~**

"Hear hear!" the Bulgarians all shouted, causing Oliver to blush. They were appreciating his pep talk!

~**Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Dorea.**

**"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Dorea, because we've got to win today, we've got to."~**

As Angelina and Katie began to whack their favourite Keeper over the head with some of Hermione's books, Oliver shouted out that he never really meant it and that it was a figure of speech, causing everyone who hadn't been at that match to look at each other in confusion. What had happened to Dorea this time?

~**"So no pressure, Dorea." said Fred, winking cheekily at her.~**

"Remus," Jessica called out, having been friends with the werewolf during her Hogwarts years when he had taken her under his wing. "Would you like to read the match?" she asked. Remus thought for a moment and nodded as Sirius and James started to cheer. Jessica levitated the book over to Remus, who was clearing his throat. He found the spot that Jessica had left off at and began to read in his announcer voice.

~**As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.~**

"Gryffindor and Slytherin captains attempting to break each other's hands is completely normal, and is, in fact, a tradition at Hogwarts." Remus said on the side in a teacher voice, before turning back into the announcer. Dorea couldn't help but grin, this bit would just simply be full of fun facts, wouldn't it?

**~"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three... Two... One. . ."**

**With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Dorea flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch.**

**"All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.~**

"It is also noted that Slytherin Seekers that have bought their way onto the Quidditch team do not have original insults." Sirius added in his own teacher voice, causing many to snicker as Lucius flushed and Remus continued.

~**Dorea had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward her; she avoided it so narrowly that she felt it ruffle her hair as it passed.~**

Lily let out a sigh of relief, that one had been close. Luna began to hum.

"Enchanted bludgers are not good forms of protection, did you know that?" she asked in general, though Naomi caught her looking directly at Dobby. She wasn't stupid; she knew her friend was an actual Seer. So it had been Dobby that had enchanted that bludger, then?

**~"Close one, Dorea!" said George, streaking past her with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin. Dorea saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Dorea again.~**

Madam Hooch narrowed her eyes, if she had known that Bludger had been enchanted she would have paused the gamed so as to bring out the spare set of Bludgers that was hidden in her rooms. She had simply thought that it had been hit towards Dorea, since she had been more focused on getting Flint to give back the Beater's bat.

~**Dorea dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Dorea's head.**

**Dorea put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the pitch. She could hear the Bludger whistling along behind her. What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible... Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Dorea ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.**

**"Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted to Dorea, the Bludger pelted after her once more and Dorea was forced to fly off at full speed.~**

Bill could be heard growling at the idea that someone would enchant that bludger to go after Dorea, and Dorea only. That could have killed her!

~**It had started to rain; Dorea felt heavy drops fall onto her face, splattering onto her glasses.~**

"Oh, nov tat's just great! An enchanted bludger is after her, and nov it's raining!" Volkov shouted in annoyance. If it had been an enchanted bludger going after his teammate, he would have destroyed it by then. But there was also the fact that if it was suspected that the equipment had been tampered with in professional Quidditch, the game was postponed until it was either proven that the equipment had not been tampered with or until they found out who had done it.

**~She didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game until she heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero -'**

**The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Dorea out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to her on either side that Dorea could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.**

**"Someone's - tampered - with - this - Bludger -" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Dorea.~**

"Fred, George, you two are the best brothers I could possibly have." Bill said, clutching a twitching Dorea to his chest. The twins understood what he meant, thank you for watching out for Dorea, especially in this match.

~**"We need time out," said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Dorea's nose at the same time.**

**Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Dorea, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.**

**"What's going on?" said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"**

**"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the **_**other**_** Bludger from murdering Dorea, Oliver," spat George angrily.~**

Molly blinked in surprise, she had never once heard of one of the twins getting angry, not even when she threw out their Ton Tongue Toffees. Dorea could only smile at the memory, the twins thought of Dorea as their precious baby sister, and even though they would never admit it publically, they loved her more than Ginny because she didn't judge them the way that Ginny did.

~**"Someone's fixed it - it won't leave Dorea alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."**

**"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." said Wood, anxiously.**

**Madam Hooch was walking toward them.~**

"You do realize that if you had told me that the bludger had been fixed, I would have paused the game to get the other set out and put up an investigation as to who could have fixed it, right?" Madam Hooch asked, causing every single one of the Hogwarts Quidditch teams to gawk at her. Hooch sighed, apparently none of them knew that.

**~Over her shoulder, Dorea could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in her direction.~**

The Quidditch team in question was shot extremely dirty looks, while a few had the nerve to look sheepish. Malfoy had been bragging about how he was doing better than Dorea, and that she needed the Weasley Twins beside her because of him. _That_ had been what they had been joking about.

~**"Listen," said Dorea as she came nearer and nearer, "With you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."**

**"Don't be thick," said Fred protectively. "It'll take your head off."~**

Ginny could be seen frowning. Fred never got protective over her, not once.

~**Wood was looking from Dorea to the Weasleys, torn as to what to do.**

"**Oliver, this is insane," said Alicia Spinner angrily. "You can't let Dorea deal with that thing on her own. Let's ask for an inquiry –"**

**"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Dorea. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"**

**"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. " `Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell her -"~**

Oliver sighed.

"It was a bloody figure of speech, you know, like how you tell someone to break a leg before they perform something?!" he shouted out, causing the rest of the Gryffindor team to flush.

"Sorry..." all of them except Dorea, who had never commented on it, muttered.

~**Madam Hooch had joined them.**

**"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.**

**Wood looked at the determined look on Dorea's pale face, her eyes glinting dangerously.~**

Everyone groaned, remembering that look from the first book. Nothing could stop Dorea from taking care of it on her own now.

**~"All right," he sighed in defeat. "Fred, George, you heard Dorea - leave her alone and let her deal with the Bludger on her own."~**

"It should be noted at the Potter family is known for being reckless and determined when it comes to Quidditch - it's suspected to be a family trait for them to be willing to risk their safety and sometimes life just to catch that snitch." Remus added in, causing everyone to laugh at the commentary. That certainly fit Dorea to a T.

**~The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Dorea kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the Bludger behind her. Higher and higher Dorea climbed; she looped and swooped, spiralled, zigzagged, and rolled. Slightly dizzy, she nevertheless kept her eyes wide open, rain was speckling her glasses and ran up her nostrils as she hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. She could hear laughter from the crowd;~**

"Actually, everyone was screaming in terror. Once Fred and George left you we finally figured out what was happening with that bludger and were terrified that it would take your head off." Daphne said, the other Slytherins in the Circle nodding in agreement. Dorea couldn't help but smile, it was good to know that none of them were really like Malfoy.

**~ she knew she must look very stupid,~**

"You actually looked really cool, like a fighter jet avoiding a missile." Justin said, causing those who understood what he was talking about to laugh.

"I felt like one!" Dorea retorted, making the laughter grow. After a few minutes, Remus was able to continue reading.

~**but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as Dorea could; she began a kind of roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goal posts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past** **Wood. A whistling in Dorea's ear told him the Bludger had just missed her again;s he turned right over and sped in the opposite direction.**

**"Training for the ballet, Potter?" yelled Malfoy~**

Dorea sneered.

"You're a disgrace to the House of Slytherin, you realize that, don't you?" she asked, causing Malfoy to flush in embarrassment and Lucius to stand up in rage.

"He is not, you stupid little bitch!" he snarled. Dorea's wand appeared in her hand from her wand holder, but she wasn't the one to cast a curse at Lucius Malfoy. The castor of that curse was...

"_Narcissa_?" Sirius gasped, staring at his enraged cousin in shock. The Lady stood up, glared at her husband, who was spewing slugs all over the table, and walked over to the Circle, nose in the air. Sitting down near Theo, she continued glaring at Lucius.

"I won't just sit to the side and let you insult my family, Lucius. No matter what, I'll _always_ choose my family over you." she snarled, causing Malfoy to stare at his mother in shock while Dorea smiled warmly at the woman. This was the essence of a true Slytherin, someone who chose their family over everyone else, someone who would attack when least expected. Someone who would be willing to sit on the sidelines to think about their choices, and then do what they think would be best.

She couldn't help but feel an extreme amount of pride over the fact that Narcissa chose her over her husband, that Narcissa called her family.

~**as Dorea was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in midair to dodge the Bludger, and she fled, the Bludger trailing a few feet behind her; and then, glaring back at Malfoy in hatred, she saw it - the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above Malfoy's left ear - and Malfoy, busy laughing at Dorea, hadn't seen it.~**

Everyone in the Hall facepalmed, each for their own reason. The Quidditch fanatics and players were facepalming because of Malfoy's stupidity, the Slytherins were facepalming in shame, while the rest of the Hall was facepalming over the fact that he couldn't even hear it when it was that close to him.

~**For an agonizing moment, Dorea hung in midair, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in cases he looked up and saw the Snitch.**

**WHAM.~**

Dorea grabbed her right elbow, that had really hurt.

~**She had stayed still a second too long. The Bludger had hit her at last, smashed into her elbow, and Dorea felt her arm break. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in her arm,~**

Dorea sighed.

"Why is it always my right arm? I can only remember one time where it was my left arm..." she said, running a finger along the scar that the basilisk fang had left. Even though Fawkes had healed the wound, because of the venom in it the scar would be there forever.

**~ she slid sideways on her rain-drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, her right arm dangling useless at her side - the Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at her face - Dorea swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged in her numb brain: get to Malfoy.**

**Through a haze of rain and pain she dived for the shimmering, sneering face below her and saw its eyes widen with fear: Malfoy thought Dorea was attacking him.~**

Dorea got a glazed look in her eyes as she imagined attacking Mafloy during Quidditch - that would be lots of fun...

~**"What the -" he gasped, careening out of Dorea's way.**

**Dorea took her remaining hand off her broom and made a wild snatch; she felt her fingers close on the cold Snitch but was now only gripping the broom with her legs, and there was a yell from the crowd below as she headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out. With a splattering thud she hit the mud and rolled off her broom. Her arm was hanging at a very strange angle; riddled with pain, she heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting. She focused on the Snitch clutched in her good hand.**

**"Aha," she said vaguely. "We've won."~**

People chuckled as Remus levitated the book back to Jessica, who found where Remus had left off and continued from that point on.

~**And she fainted.**

**She came around, rain falling on her face, still lying on the field, with someone leaning over her. She saw a glitter of teeth.**

**"Oh, no, not you," she moaned.~**

Everyone burst into laughter at Dorea's comment, James and Sirius pounding away on each other's shoulders. Molly simply shook her head, yes, Lockhart might have been quite the pervert towards Dorea, but that didn't give her to excuse to be this rude to him - after all, he did stop flirting with her, didn't he?

~**"Doesn't know what she's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. "Not to worry, Dorea. I'm about to fix your arm."**

**"No!" said Dorea. "I'll keep it like this, thanks..."**

**She tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. She heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.**

**"I don't want a photo of this, Colin," she said loudly.~**

Colin blushed as his friends began to laugh at him, their faces red, tears stinging their eyes as they pounded away at the table in front of them.

~**"Lie back, Dorea," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times -"~**

"It's only simple if you know exactly where the break is and how to heal it, which I assure you, he did not." Madam Pomfrey ground out, eye twitching as she remembered the pure rage she felt towards Lockhart for what he did there. "He shouldn't have been trying to heal you to begin with, since he doesn't have a Healers licence." Molly's eye twitched, she couldn't think up a defence against that argument.

**~"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Dorea through clenched teeth.~**

Ron faked a gasp.

"It must be a first - a Potter actually asking to go to the Hospital Wing!" he said with mock awe, only to dodge a pillow that a laughing Dorea sent his way.

~**"She should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great capture, Dorea, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say -"**

**Through the thicket of legs around her, Dorea spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.~**

"Wait, that was why you didn't murder Lockhart on the spot?" Katie asked the Twins, who only nodded. Fabian and Gideon exchanged glances - why would they have murdered Lockhart on the spot? He must have done something wrong when trying to heal Dorea, but what was the worst that he could have done?

~**"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.**

**"No - don't -" said Dorea weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Dorea's arm.**

**A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Dorea's shoulder and spread all the way down to her fingertips. It felt as though her arm was being deflated.~**

Madam Bones could be seen scribbling away on the clipboard that she had stolen from Umbridge while the Weasley and Prewett Twins growled with rage. When Lockhart got his memories back they were going to kill him, slowly and painfully. Lily and James were shaking with rage as they realized what Lockhart had done - he had Vanished the bones in their daughter's right arm!

~**She didn't dare look at what was happening. She had shut her eyes, her face turned away from her arm, but her worst fears were realized as the people above her gasped and Colin Creevey began clicking away madly. Her arm didn't hurt anymore - nor did it feel remotely like an arm.**

**"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen.~**

"Not if you're a trained professional." Madam Pomfrey snapped at the book, causing Jessica to eye her warily. Maybe she should move to the other side of her husband to keep away from being murdered by the angry MediWitch...

~**But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Dorea, just toddle up to the hospital wing - ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? - and Madam Pomfrey will be able to - er - tidy you up a bit."~**

"Tidy her up? _TIDY HER UP_?!" Madam Pomfrey bellowed, causing everyone to jump a foot in the air and stare at her in shock. "Regrowing all 30 _**(A/N NOTE: Did my research, there are 30 bones in the human arm and hand together.)**_ bones in her right arm and hand is what he considers _tidying up_?! When I see that man I will..." Here, many people covered young children's ears and eyes and Madam Pomfrey began cursing bad enough to make a sailor blush while doing the hand motions to go along with it. Once she had finished announcing to the world what she would do to Lockhart and was sitting back down in her seat, chest heaving with rage, did Jessica slowly begin to read again.

**~As Dorea got to her feet, she felt strangely lopsided. Taking a deep breath she looked down at her right side. What she saw nearly made her pass out again. Poking out of the end of her robes was what looked like a thick, flesh coloured rubber glove. She tried to move her fingers. Nothing happened. With her eyes blazing angrily, she turned to Lockhart.**

**"You're lucky that I feel like I'm about to pass out, because this arm would make an **_**excellent**_** weapon to strangle you in your sleep with." she snarled as Ron lifted her good arm over his shoulders, half carrying her to the hospital win.**

**Lockhart hadn't mended Dorea's bones. He had removed them. Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.**

**"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second - but growing them back -"**

**"You will be able to, won't you?" said Dorea desperately.~**

"I don't blame you for being desperate, I would want to strangle Lockhart with both my hands the first moment I got to." Dante snarled, hand turning to water and back in an instant. Blaise blinked in shock as he stared at the hand that had just transformed - what the hell had just happened?

~**"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Dorea a pair of pyjamas. "You'll have to stay the night…"~**

"That was a load of fun." Dorea said sarcastically.

~**Ron waited outside the curtain drawn around Dorea's bed while Hermione helped her into her pyjamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve.**

**"How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as Hermione pulled Dorea's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Dorea had wanted debonings he would have asked."**

**"Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione. "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Dorea?"~**

"You actually defended him? Were you _blind_?" Susan asked, exhasperated. Hermione sighed.

"Look, don't you think it's possible that Lockhart might have put something in his cologne to make people more willing to follow him, or something? I mean, after a week of not being taught by him, I couldn't stand him after I read his books over one more time." she reasoned, making everyone blink. That... Would make a lot of sense, actually. There might have been something in his books, as well. Molly, on the other hand, was silently fuming. Lockhart never would have done such a thing!

**~"No," said Dorea, getting into bed. "But it doesn't do anything else either. And I can't understand why you're defending him, Hermione - I specifically told him that I didn't want him to help me. Didn't Madam Pomfrey teach all of us in that mandatory First Aid course last year that it's illegal to attempt to heal someone without a licence, anyway? So how come he was so insistent on doing it without one?"**

**Hermione never answered.~**

"Because I knew you were right." Hermione whistled innocently, making George laugh as he kissed her forehead. Dorea smirked at Hermione's red face, she had fallen hard for George, and quickly, too.

~**As she swung herself onto the bed, her arm flapped pointlessly. Ron and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labelled Skele-Gro.**

**"You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beaker full and handing it to her. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."**

**So was taking the Skele-Gro.~**

The few that had taken it before nodded in agreement, that potion was the most vile thing they had ever consumed in their lives.

~**It burned Dorea's mouth and throat as it went down, making her cough and splutter.**

**Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Dorea gulp down some water.**

**"We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face... He looked ready to kill ..."**

**"I want to know how he fixed that Bludger," said Hermione darkly.**

**"We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Dorea, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff ..."**

**"If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking," said Ron.~**

"Actually, it tasted a lot better." she said, smirking. "Though I bet yours tasted worse." Ron stuck his tongue out.

"At least I didn't transform into the opposite gender!" he teased, causing Dorea to shudder at the memory of that.

"Please don't remind me of that..." she muttered as most of the Hall winced in sympathy - turning into the opposite gender at 12 years old must not be fun at all.

~**The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Dorea.**

**"Unbelievable flying, Dorea," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."**

**They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Dorea's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "This girl needs rest, he's got thirty bones to regrow! Out! OUT!"**

**And Dorea was left alone, with nothing to distract her from the stabbing pains in her limp arm.~**

Madam Pomfrey flinched. She hadn't realized that Dorea had been using them to distract her from the pain she had been feeling.

~**Hours and hours later, Dorea woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain: Her arm now felt full of large splinters. For a second, she thought that was what had woken her. Then, with a thrill of horror, she realized that someone was sponging her forehead in the dark.**

**"Get off!" she said loudly, and then, "Dobby!"~**

"_You_?!" most of the Hall gasped. But - Dorea - hug - _what_? Lucius was sitting in complete shock - what was Dobby doing there? He hadn't ordered the elf to tell Dorea Potter anything...

~**The house-elf's goggling tennis ball eyes were peering at Dorea through the darkness. A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose.**

**"Miss Dorea Potter came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned miss Dorea Potter. Ah miss, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't miss Dorea Potter go back home when she missed the train?"**

**Dorea heaved herself up on her pillows and pushed Dobby's sponge away.**

**"What're you doing here?" she said. "And how did you know I missed the train?"**

**Dobby's lip trembled and Dorea was seized by a sudden suspicion.**

**"It was **_**you**_**!" she said slowly. "**_**You**_** stopped the barrier from letting us through!"~**

Many people frowned, but then remembered that Dorea had said the car they flew to Hogwarts in saved her life later on in the year. But what had it done to save her life...?

~**"Indeed yes, miss," said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for miss Dorea Potter and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterward" - he showed Dorea ten long, bandaged fingers - "But Dobby didn't care, miss, for he thought miss Dorea Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that miss Dorea Potter would get to school another way!"**

**He was rocking backward and forward, shaking his ugly head.**

**"Dobby was so shocked when he heard miss Dorea Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, miss..."**

**Dorea slumped back onto her pillows.**

**"You nearly got Ron and me expelled," she said fiercely. "You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."~**

Dobby and Dorea only chuckled; their relationship was an odd one, but a good one. Dobby nearly killed Dorea trying to save her life, Dorea threatened to kill Dobby for trying to save her life.

~**Dobby smiled weakly.**

**"Dobby is used to death threats, miss. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."**

**He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Dorea felt her anger ebb away in spite of herself.~**

"Say what?" Hermione asked in shock. "But - you usually have to rant before that happens!" Ron smirked.

"Well, now we know that all it takes to get Dorea to calm down is to get a teary Dobby in front of her - OI!" he shouted as Dorea cast a mild Stinging Hex his way, not being able to access a book.

~**"Why d'you wear that thing, Dobby?" she asked curiously.**

**"This, miss?" said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. "'Tis a mark of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever." Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Miss Dorea Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make -"**

**"**_**Your**_** Bludger?" said Dorea, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean, **_**your**_** Bludger? **_**You**_** made that Bludger try and kill me?"~**

"It was charmed to calm once miss Dorea Potter was unconscious! Not kill, never kill!" Dobby insisted, tears in his eyes at the idea of someone thinking he would want to kill Dorea. The Quidditch team calmed at once, that would make quite a bit of sense. He would have only wanted her injured enough to be sent to Saint Mungoes, or back to the Dursleys, anywhere outside of Hogwarts.

~**"Not kill you, miss, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save miss Dorea Potter's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here miss! Dobby only wanted miss Dorea Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"**

**"Oh, is that all?" said Dorea angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"**

**"Ah, if miss Dorea Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If he knew what she means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world!~**

"It shouldn't be that way, all intelligent magical creatures should be treated with the same respect no matter where you go." Dorea said angrily, fists clenched tightly. "One of the reasons why I prefer the magical community in Canada is because they all follow through with that, abuse towards any intelligent magical creature is treated the same way as abuse towards another human!" Upon seeing odd looks Dorea was getting, she shrugged. "I met a few students from the York Academy of Magic during the World Cup. York is the old name for Toronto, back from when it was still a British colony. The school was set up after - know what? If you wanna know just ask me after the reading today." she said shrugging. She really didn't want to get into a history lecture on what she learned in a few hours from the Canadian witches that she had been talking to before Hermione dragged her away from them - she still wrote to them, though, using the International Post Owls, which could Apparate up to a maximum of halfway around the world.

~**Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, miss! We house-elves were treated like vermin, miss! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, miss," he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase. "But mostly, miss, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Miss Dorea Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, miss, and miss Dorea Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the Dark days would never end, sir... And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let miss Dorea Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more…"~**

"Wait - did his master plan on opening the Chamber?" Moody asked, causing Dorea to smirk at a blanching Lucius Malfoy. Madam Bones was in the room, and Fudge was arrested...

"Yes, he fully intended on having the Chamber opened and hoped for students to be killed. After all, he is an active Death Eater." she commented, deciding to once again let her Slytherin side have a bit of fun. Madam Bones raised an eyebrow - an active Death Eater, huh?

~**Dobby froze, horror struck, then grabbed Dorea's water jug from her bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight. A second later, he crawled back onto the bed, cross-eyed, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby..."~**

"Not bad Dobby, that was a very good thing you did, Dobby." Narcissa commented, and as Dobby blushed Madam Bones raised her other eyebrow - was Narcissa Malfoy Dobby's ex-Mistress? But that meant - _oooh_.

~**"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Dorea whispered urgently. "And did you say it's been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!"**

**She seized the elf's bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched toward the water jug. "But I'm not Muggleborn - how can **_**I**_** be in danger from the Chamber?"**

**"Ah, miss, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but miss Dorea Potter must not be here when they happen - go home, miss Dorea Potter, go home. Miss Dorea Potter must not meddle in this, miss, 'tis too dangerous -"**

**"Who is it, Dobby?" Dorea said, keeping a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him from hitting himself with the water jug again.~**

Hermione beamed at Dorea for doing that - even when she wasn't Dobby's friend, she still cared for his well being. More than she cared for her own, actually...

~**"Who's opened it? Who opened it last time?"**

**"Dobby can't, miss, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" squealed the elf. "Go home, miss Dorea Potter, go home!"**

**"I'm not going anywhere!" said Dorea fiercely. "One of my best friends is Muggle-born; she'll be first in line if the Chamber really has been opened -"~**

Lily pulled Dorea, and by default Bill, into one of the biggest hugs she had ever given while Hermione began to cry tears of joy.

"You're the most loyal sister I could ever ask for." she chirped as George began to wipe the tears away. Michaela leaned her head on Charlie's shoulder - Dorea was really the best person she had ever met, far better than she could ever deserve to be friends with. She was broken, useless_... But Charlie cares for you, doesn't he?_ a little voice in her head said. _If you're broken, he's trying to fix you. If you were useless, he wouldn't care for you. So how are you useless?_

~**"Miss Dorea Potter risks her own life for her friends!" moaned Dobby in a kind of miserable ecstasy. "So noble! So valiant!~**

"So selfless." Bill whispered as he kissed Dorea, smiling as the ravenette blushed. "So perfect." he whispered in her ear, causing her blush to deepen and run down her neck. She was just so cute!

Bill would never admit it, but he loved cute things with a passion.

~**But she must save herself, she must, miss Dorea Potter must not -"**

**Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Dorea heard it, too. There were footsteps coming down the passageway outside.**

**"Dobby must go!" breathed the elf, terrified. There was a loud crack, and Dorea's fist was suddenly clenched on thin air. She slumped back into bed, her eyes on the dark doorway to the hospital wing as the footsteps drew nearer.~**

McGonagall frowned while Dumbledore chuckled. So she had overheard their conversation, had she?

~**Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long woolly dressing gown and a nightcap.~**

Several girls giggled, only Dumbledore could pull off that appearance.

~**He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue. Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.**

**"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Dorea's bed out of sight. Dorea lay quite still, pretending to be asleep. She heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress. She heard a sharp intake of breath.**

**"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.**

**"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."~**

McGonagall blushed as she noticed all the inquisitive stares she was getting.

"I was going to visit Poppy to see the damage that Lockhart had done to Dorea." she said, purposely not mentioning that she had brought along several boxes of biscuits for the girl.

~**"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."~**

Colin nodded slowly. He had been going to visit his crush.

~**Dorea****'s stomach gave a horrible lurch. Slowly and carefully, she raised herself a few inches so she could look at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face. It was Colin Creevey.~**

"_NOOOOOOOOO_!" Sirius wailed. "NOW DOREA DOESN'T HAVE HER STALKER-FAN TO CHEER HER ON AND SUPPORT HER!" He pointed at Colin. "I HAD BEEN ROUTING FOR YOU THIS ENTIRE BOOK, KID!" he shouted dramatically as Colin flushed and his friends all fell over with blue faces from laughing so hard. Remus whacked Sirius over the head and Silenced the Lord. Honestly, you'd think he'd act his age, not his IQ.

**~ His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.~**

Colin shivered at the memory of those eyes - he just hoped that the film had survived. He had taken that photo to try and tell the teachers what the monster at the school had been...

~**"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think ... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate - who knows what might have -"**

**The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.**

**"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.**

**Dumbledore didn't answer. He opened the back of the camera.**

**"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.**

**A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Dorea, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic.~**

Colin sighed in disappointment as the rest of the student body gasped - but what could have melted the camera? Hermione, Ron, and Dorea refused to meet anyone's eyes - only a basilisk's stare could do that.

~**"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly. "All melted..."**

**"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.**

**"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."~**

"Wait," Lily said slowly. "You knew it opened before?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

"I was the Transfiguration professor here at the time, it had only been 2 years before I defeated Grindelwald." he admitted, causing many to gasp in shock. But - he didn't know what the monster was at the time - honestly, what was it?

~**Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore.**

**"But, Albus... Surely... who?"**

**"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how..."**

**And from what Dorea could see of Professor McGonagall's shadowy face, she didn't understand this any better than she did.~**

"Professor," Dorea asked. "You knew he was the Heir, didn't you?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"When I first met him, he mentioned he could speak to snakes. Simply being a Parselmouth was not enough to make him a suspect at the time, though I wish it had been." he said. The fact that being a Parselmouth wasn't enough to make Voldemort a suspect also applied to Dorea - it was the only reason that Dumbledore refused to allow Dorea to be investigated at the time. Jessica marked the page as food appeared on the tables in front of everyone.

"That's the chapter. Who will read after lunch?" she asked.

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 12,269**

**Chapter done! I hope you guys are happy - I worked on this until 12:55 am and am posting it at 1:50 am. Took a while to do, but it's finally done!**

**Review Count: 1,226**

**Awesome guys - almost as awesome as Prussia! (Hetalians will understand the reference)**

**Review Goal: 1,290**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	34. Book 2: Chapter 11

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Guys, I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO *gasps for breath* SOOO SORRY FOR THE REALLY REALLY LATE UPDATE! **

**To sum it up:**

**At least 9 math questions per night + close to a worksheet of science every night + French worksheet almost every night + HetaOni induced depression(those who know what I'm talking about have clearly suffered from this as well - I can't help it! THAT RPG IS SO FREAKING SAD!) + stress of course selections for next year = extremely late updates.**

**Yeah, we're choosing the courses that we're taking next year now... Needless to say I'm stressed because A) I wanna take both World and American History, B) I'm planning on taking French again, since I'm already taking a second year of it might as well take it all through high school, and C) I want to take leadership but I also want to take Design(clothing design, new course option at school) as well as Acting/Improv, not to mention the fact that I'm planning on taking either Chemistry or Physics as well... Almost all of those options are Academic courses, mind you.**

**Alright, enough of the ranting, funny story - we did a test in math just last week, and when our teacher gave them back she said we had to calculate our own scores to see out percentage. The first thing I notice when I get mine back is that she wrote excellent at the top, so I was feeling pretty good. I had been the first one done the test, so I was worried that I had completely bombed it. I calculated my score and was shocked to find out that I got a 95.4% on the test. The only thing I can hear is the people in my class congratulating each other on getting 70's on the test. So, because all the people around me are checking to see what they got, this one kid that sits a seat up and to the left, Alex, looks at me when I congratulated him on getting an 85% and asks what I got. When I tell him I got a 95% he just looks at me, the kid two seats in front of me is all like "WHAT?!", my friend Cristina in front of me is all like "Holy crap, good job Michaela!", and the kid that sits in front of Alex tells a girl sitting near him that I got a 95% percent so she stares at me and is all like "What?", then Max tells this kid that I'm pretty sure likes me(though it might just be because I'm smart and am willing to help him on test...) that I got a 95% so he's staring at me like "Wtf?" and I'm just sitting there like "God someone shoot me now..." from all the attention I was getting. Yeah, long story short - I'm REALLY good at math. Though I'm surprised that I did so well on the graphing portion, since graphing is my weakness. Algebra is my strongest portion of math.**

**Also, I would like to thank ****Ilovetwilight089xxx**** for the idea of Dorea's reactions to the Hufflepuffs in the library just before she discovers Justin.**

**ANYWAY, onto the story! Someone said that the review replies were taking up too much space so I moved them to the bottom!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Jessica looked around, and was pleasantly surprised when it was Sinistra who offered to read next. Levitating the book over to the owl-eyed professor, the woman opened the book to the next chapter and winced. She had taken Dorea aside and asked about what had happened that day during the next class that she had, and Dorea had ranted on and on about idiots and how they couldn't tell one gender from another. Merlin that girl could rant.

~**CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE DUELLING CLUB~ **she read for everyone to hear. Immediately everyone who had been there winced, now that they knew that Dorea wasn't the Heir of Slytherin they were beginning to realize what judgemental jerks they had looked like. Dorea just shook her head at those in the Circle who had winced, she knew that they had just been terrified over what was happening and wanted to know who had been behind the attacks. None of them had actually suspected her for any other reason than she was a Parselmouth, which was a damn good reason to suspect her. Hell, if she had been anyone else she probably would have suspected her as well!

~**Dorea woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory blazing with winter sunlight and her arm re-boned but very stiff. She sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Dorea had changed behind yesterday. Seeing that she was awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with a breakfast tray and then began bending and stretching her arm and fingers. Dorea knew better than to complain, it was just checking to make sure that she didn't have any negative reactions to the potion.~**

Madam Pomfrey nodded smugly, Dorea had been in the Hospital Wing helping so many people that year and the year before that basic Healing knowledge came simply to her.

~**"All in order," she said as she clumsily fed herself porridge left-handed.**

**"When you've finished eating, you may leave."**

**Dorea dressed as quickly as she could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there. Dorea left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to, and feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether she had her bones back or not.~**

Ron couldn't help but glare lightly at Dorea, they had been, but they also knew that Dorea hated being crowded while she was in the Hospital Wing. There was also the fact that they had decided to get an early start on the Polyjuice Potion, which meant that Hermione woke him up at 5 in the bloody morning just to get to Myrtle's bathroom before anyone got close to it. Needless to say he wasn't in the mood to hear Dorea's mental whining about how her friends didn't care, when they really did.

~**As Dorea passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.**

**"Oh, hello, Dorea," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup you earned fifty points!"~**

"The news about Colin didn't spread around until lunch time." Dorea said before anyone commented on Percy's apparent lack of tact. Percy could only smile - how the hell could he have thought that Dorea was a liar? She was the most honest and selfless person that he knew... Bill had better be good to her or he would have hell to pay.

~**"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Dorea.**

**"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet…"~**

Ron shook his head while Hermione laughed.

"That's where you figured out where we were?" she asked, causing everyone else to start laughing hysterically.

~**Dorea**** forced a laugh, watched Percy walk out of sight, and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She couldn't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again, but after making sure that neither Filch nor any prefects were around, she opened the door and heard their voices coming from a locked stall.**

**"It's me," she said, closing and locking the door behind her.~**

Moody nodded in approval. The other two should have thought about locking that the moment they went in there.

**~There was a clunk, a splash, and a gasp from within the stall and she saw Hermione's eye peering through the keyhole.**

**"Dorea!" she said. "You gave us such a fright - come in how's your arm?"**

**"Fine," said Dorea, squeezing into the stall. ~**

"If Dorea's squeezing in, then that's a tight fit." Ginny commented. The Trio all scrunched their noses.

"It was."

**~An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told Dorea they had lit a fire beneath it. Conjuring up portable, waterproof fires was a specialty of Hermione's.~**

"Bloody useful, that is." Charlie muttered under his breath as he held Michaela in a hug. She seemed bothered with this book, and he didn't really know why - maybe because a magical creature was purposely attacking students?

~**"We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained as Dorea, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."~**

Many nodded, since Dorea was part of that group Myrtle would keep everyone else away because of their friendship.

~**Dorea nodded once, Myrtle would never let anyone find out about the potion. She was really one of the most loyal friends a girl could ask for. **

**Dorea started to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin, but Hermione interrupted.**

**"We know already - we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick about it this morning.~**

James looked at the teachers incredulously.

"And you wonder why Hogwarts has few to no secrets!" he exclaimed, causing all of them to flush in embarrassment. They were starting to understand why news spread around so quickly now - students would find out what the teachers were talking about if they weren't talking in private. They should really start doing that now...

~**That's why we decided we'd better get going -"**

**"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better." snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match that he took it out on Colin."~**

"That's a reasonably assumption, considering his reputation towards Gryffindors and muggleborns." Dumbledore nodded before Molly could open her mouth to scold her son. Susan and Ron exchanged exasperated looks - really, Molly needed a wakeup call. You'd think that the first book would have done that for her, but no, she just couldn't seem to figure out that she couldn't rule over her children.

~**"There's something else," said Dorea, watching as Hermione tore bundles of knotgrass and throw them into the potion. "Dobby, you guys remember him, came to visit me in the middle of the night."**

**Ron and Hermione both looked up, amazed and shocked.~**

"Of course we were, I had been explaining to Hermione as to why we thought that Dobby warning you had been a prank. We were amazed that it wasn't actually a prank after all and that he could go behind his master's back to help you." Ron defended them before anyone began snickering. Those who knew about how House Elves lived nodded, 99% of House Elves would rather kill themselves than work behind their master's back.

~**Dorea told them everything that Dobby had told her - or hadn't told her. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open.~**

"Well no duh, hearing that a House Elf told you the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before was kinda _really_ shocking!" Hermione defended as Dorea laughed at the memories.

"Doesn't mean that I don't hold that memory close by just in case I need to blackmail you!" she teased her friends, ducking once more as Hermione and Ron both threw a pile of pillows her way. Bill just looked at the two after the barrage finished hitting him.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. Everyone was still snickering as Sinistra continued reading.

~**"The Chamber of secrets has been opened before?" Hermione asked in horror.**

**"This settles it," Ron said in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy or his father must have opened the Chamber when they were at school here,~**

"Lucius' father would be the correct time in which the Chamber was opened before, he was one of the First Death Eaters after all." Narcissa provided, causing Madam Bones to smirk, Fudge's jaw to drop, and for Lucius to stare at his wife with betrayal and hatred clear on his face.

~**and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."**

**"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armor or something - I've read about Chameleon Ghouls -"~**

"Those can't turn invisible, though that is a good thought... Then again, Dorea made it sound as though that the monster was moving too quickly to be in the hallways... Perhaps it can move through the walls and floors somehow?" Moody looked at Dorea for confirmation on his theory. All she did was tap her nose and point at Moody, making all the muggleborns who knew the game of Charades nod. That made a lot more sense now - but how could it move through walls? Perhaps it was a creature that could control stones...? But that didn't explain petrification...

~**"You read too much, Hermione,"~**

"Thank Merlin for that or we'd be dead and the school would be closed." Ron and Dorea said at the same time, causing Hermione to flush as she remembered the end of that school year - that she had torn a page out of a book(that had been extremely painful of her to do) and it had been the key to Ron and Dorea slaying the basilisk, or rather Dorea slaying the basilisk... Stupid Lockhart.

~**said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Dorea.** **"So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm." He shook his head. "You know what, Dorea? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."~**

"Which explains the promise at the end of the year." Dorea nodded, causing Dobby to flush in embarrassment and everyone else to look on at the two in confusion. What promise?

~**The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.~**

"Didn't stop the double attack." Percy grumbled under his breath - Dorea, Ron, and Hermione never told them what the monster had been or what had happened to it, all anyone knew was that Dorea prevented it from attacking anyone ever again.

~**Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Dorea felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. **

**They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.~**

"They weren't the reason that I was having nightmares." Ginny mumbled, thinking back to those vivid nightmares. Falling down into the earth only to face a giant serpent - at least now she knew what they were about.

~**Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pureblood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.**

**"They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."~**

"You're just a late bloomer like your mother, all you need is some confidence and you'll be an excellent wizard in no time." Remus advised, causing Neville to nod in appreciation for the advice. It was really good to know that he had never almost been a Squib.

~**In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Dorea, Ron, and Hermione signed her list; they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious.~**

"Lucius had spent that Christmas Merlin knows where while I was in Italy dealing with family business." Narcissa said. Blaise twitched a little, it was a commonly known fact in the Italian Wizarding World that Squibs from families all across the world would flee to Italy or Russia to join a Mafia filled with fellow Squibs. She must have had business that involved the Mafia itself in order to Narcissa to actually travel all the way to Italy for the holidays. But what kind of business could it have been...?

~**The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him. Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Dorea privately felt she'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch him robbing his office.~**

Dorea shuddered.

"I'd rather take the angry Snape." she said, causing her parents and Bill to exchange nervous glances. Oh Merlin, what was the monster and what happened to her?

~**"What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "Is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."**

**Dorea and Ron looked at her nervously.**

**"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."**

**Dorea attempted to smile feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.~**

"Scratch that, the dragon's more dangerous. Know from experience." Dorea commented while rubbing the shoulder that the dragon's spikes had torn open while Lily had a panicked look on her face. When had her baby girl faced a _dragon_?!

~**Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively.~**

Dumbledore sent Snape an icy glare. The only reason he allowed the Potions professor to continue teaching the NEWTs students was because by then the students knew how to follow the instructions perfectly, but that didn't stop Dumbledore himself from watching the class to make sure that everyone was being treated fairly.

~**Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favourite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Dorea and Ron.~**

"If you were to do that with Slughorn you would be suspended from Potion making for at least 6 months and be docked at least 50 points. That is extremely dangerous and can cause serious damage to the potion and the maker." Lily scolded, those that had also been taught by Slughorn nodding in agreement. Narcissa couldn't help but feel disgusted with how her son was behaving in this book, in the past. He was less Slytherin than he was Gryffindor, that was for sure!

~**who knew that if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say "Unfair."~**

The Marauders couldn't help but snarl as the Prewett Twins began plotting revenge for their nieces(Dorea officially counted as a niece now) and nephews - no one messed with Prewett family members and got away with it!

~**Dorea's Swelling Solution was far too runny,~**

"Take it off the heat for 3-5 minutes to let it thicken; it's just a little too hot." Lily said automatically, all Second and First years writing that tidbit down for later. This was really useful!

~**but she had her mind on more important things. She was waiting for Hermione's signal, and she hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at her watery potion. When Snape turned and walked off the bully Neville, Hermione caught Dorea's eye and nodded. Dorea ducked swiftly behind her cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of her pocket,~**

"So _that's_ why you asked for one!" Fred exclaim, amazement written across his face.

"We thought you were going to plant it in Lockhart's office." George explained. Dorea made a face.

"As if I'd go in there without someone's life being on the line." she said, thinking back to when she and Ron persuaded Lockhart into going down to the Chamber with them.

They really should have gotten Flitwick instead.

~**and gave it a quick prod with her wand. Tthe firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing she had only second, Dorea straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Malfoy's finished cauldron.~**

While many of the professors disapproved of Dorea's tactics, they were pleased that she took aim for a finished, and therefore safe, cauldron.

Not that she should have done it in the first place, mind you.

~**Malfoy's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a face full and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate -~**

People couldn't help but either giggle at the mental images or wince at the idea of that happening to them. It was kinda funny thinking about that happening to the bullies, but they wouldn't wish that to happen to anyone else.

~**Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Dorea saw Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.**

**"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft - when I find out who did this -"**

**Dorea tried her hardest not to laugh as she watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of a nose like a small melon.~**

One snort from Hermione broke the dam that held the laughter in the Hall back. Malfoy and Lucius both scowled as they watched the Weasley Twins begin to roll around on the ground in laughter, tears leaking out of their eyes, while Narcissa held back her chuckle behind a cough. While it was her son that was being talked about, she couldn't help but imagine that happening to the Pink Toad (Lucius got along just fine with her, but Narcissa had always felt that she was too... Fake.), thus the chuckle.

Sinistra waited for everyone to calm down before she continued reading.

~**As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips, Dorea saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging slightly.~**

"I only saw it because I was looking for it, so don't worry Hermione, it wasn't noticeable." Dorea reassured, calming Hermione greatly. She had been worried that someone would notice it.

~**When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.**

**"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."~**

"Too late, punishments aren't allowed~!" Remus sang, horribly off key. Ignoring the horrible singing, everyone laughed at the expression of pure rage on Snape's face at the reminder that he wasn't allowed to punish Dorea for doing that.

**~Dorea rearranged her face into what she dearly hoped was a puzzled, or at least slightly confused, expression.~**

"It was." Neville said, causing Dorea to smile at her godbrother. Thank Merlin for that.

~**Snape was looking right at her, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.**

**"He knew it was me," Dorea told Ron and Hermione as they hurried back to Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell."~**

Lily began snarling.

"Snivellus if you used Legilimency on my daughter when she was in your classes I will rip you limb from limb." she threatened, causing the Potions Master to visibly pale. Perhaps it would be best that she didn't find out that he had done that...

~**Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.**

**"It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily.**

**"Snape can't prove it was you," said Ron reassuringly to Dorea. "What can he do?"**

**"Knowing Snape, something foul," said Dorea as the potion frothed and bubbled.~**

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she remembered the Dueling Club. Snape couldn't have had Dorea and Malfoy duel on purpose because of what happened that day... Could he have? He had been whispering to Malfoy just before that ferret summoned the snake - could it be that Snape had planned on everything except Dorea being a Parselmouth?

~**A week later, Dorea, Ron, and Hermione were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.**

**"They're starting a Duelling Club!" said Seamus.** **"First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…"~**

"It wasn't much help at first, but later on it was a huge help." Dorea said, her mind back on the subject of the graveyard. She dug her nails into her right forearm, everyone would find out... Everyone would find out about her curse...

~**"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?"~**

"No, but the Heir can. And really well, too." Dorea said then spat at the ground, regretting that she had just complimented _Voldemort_. "I'll need to scrub my mouth out later tonight."

**~ said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest. "Could be useful," he said to Dorea and Hermione as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?"**

**Dorea and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.~**

Those who had been at that Club Meeting scowled, it hadn't been worth the visit at all. At this moment, Dumbledore stood.

"Since we are on the subject of a Dueling Club, I think you would all be pleased to hear that the Dueling Club will be restarted - with myself and Professor Flitwick teaching while Lady Potter is the Club President." he announced, causing everyone who was in their fourth year and up to cheer at the idea. Hermione turned to Dorea.

"Is that what you went to see Dumbledore about?" she asked. Dorea nodded.

"I hope that everyone in the DA shows up, it would be really fun to have everyone there." she said happily. Ron, Michaela, and Bill all smiled. Dorea rarely sounded truly happy these past few days, it was nice to hear her sound like she should - a happy 15 year old girl.

~**"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him."~**

"Was he really?" Sierra asked curiously. She blushed when most of the Hall nodded, she didn't think that they would hear her comment. Neville chuckled when she hid her face in his shoulder and only chuckled harder when she whacked him for laughing at her.

~**"As long as it's not -" Dorea began, but she ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart~**

The Marauders and Lily all groaned while Charlie and Bill both gagged.

"Why is he teaching this? You know what a fraud he is!" Sirius exclaimed, looking up at Dumbledore. The elderly man sighed.

"I was given no choice in the matter; the Board of Governors assigned him to teach the club when they heard about the attack on Mister Creevey. My hands were tied, I had no say whatsoever." he said. Madam Bones' eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"The Board of Governors is only allowed to assign duties if the Headmaster or Headmistress is incapable of assigning them his or herself." she said, glaring at Lucius Malfoy, who had been on the Board at that time. Dumbledore nodded.

"I did try to explain that to them, and that I was willing to teach the club myself, but they refused and said that Lockhart would teach the club finely. If I remember correctly, the club didn't last past the first meeting." he said. Madam Bones nodded and noted that down - it appears the corruption in the Wizarding World expanded far past just the Ministry.

**~ was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum~**

Everyone made a face at that image.

"Dumbledore can wear plum coloured robes because he's not entirely sane and extremely eccentric, no one else can pull that off." Lavender said. Daphne sent Dorea an appreciative look.

"I don't know, with Potter's colouring she might be able to pull it off. She's also insane enough to justify the selection, too." she taunted, to which Dorea responded by simply flipping the Ice Queen off. Molly huffed, would Dorea stop acting like a child?

~**and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.~**

"Lockhart and Snape?" Sirius grinned wickedly. "I think we can all agree on something here - Lockhart had better get his arse kicked."

**~Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?~**

"Unfortunately." Dorea and both sets of Twins said dryly, causing everyone to laugh as the five sent equally devilish grins at each other.

~**Excellent! Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted~**

"He forgot to mention that I was forced to." Dumbledore grumbled under his breath, sinking in his chair. McGonagall's head whipped between him and Dorea - Merlin's saggy left (er, never mind)-! They looked identical! They thought the same way, they acted the same way - McGonagall slammed her forehead against the table in front of her, causing Madam Bones and Flitwick to jump and stare at her.

Dorea was a mini-Dumbledore! The generation after her was _doomed_!

**~ me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works. Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself~**

Everyone couldn't help but snort, Dorea's being the most prominent.

"Being a Death Eater means you need to know how to duel." Dorea muttered under her breath, causing James to choke on his laughter and Lily to rub circles on his back to make him breathe again.

~**and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"~**

"We weren't." all the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and most of the Ravenclaws deadpanned. The Slytherins remained silent - they would never admit that the idea of the two of them causing some sort of accident and finishing each other off sounded really pleasant.

~**"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Dorea's ear.~**

"RONALD!" Molly shrieked as the rest of the Hall cheered Ron on.

**~"Beautiful idea - maybe Fred and George could help us plan to make it look like an accident?" Dorea asked back.~**

Molly stared at Dorea in shock as everyone began howling with laughter. Fred and George just nodded at the two, saying that yes, they would have happily helped.

**~Ron smirked.**

**"They probably know where we could hide the bodies." he snickered. The two of them ignored the glares that Hermione was sending their way for talking about murdering the two professors, but they assumed that most of the Gryffindor House would be more than willing to help.~**

Considering the cheers that that one statement earned, Dorea and Ron were correct with their assumption.

~**Snape's upper lip was curling. Dorea wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at her like that she'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction for fear of poison being slipped in her juice.~**

Everyone fell over laughing, mainly because it was true. Snape would definitely be the kind of person to slip poison in someone's morning juice.

~**Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.**

**"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."**

**"I wouldn't bet on that," Dorea murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.~**

James scowled.

"Snivelly! That look is reserved for us! How dare you use it on that ponce!" he mock whined. Snape rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't the _"I'm going to make your death slow and painful"_ look, it was the _"Get over here so I can dissect you and feed you your own organs"_ glare." Fred clarified, making the Marauders all "Ooooh" in understanding. Step above their glare, they were fine with that.

~**"One - two - three -"**

**Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.~**

Snape was surprised at the applause he received for that. When he thought it over for a moment, the reason he received it was simple - they all had a common enemy in this book, and since he showed that enemy up, they appreciated him for that.

~**Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. **

**"Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.~**

Many raised eyebrows at the blushing girl while many others replied with a "Who gives a fuck?"

~**"Who cares?" said Dorea and Ron together, Dorea standing on her tiptoes to get a better view of the beaten ponce.**

**Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.**

**"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown~**

All the Gryffindors rolled their eyes at the mention of Lavender. Parvati looked at her friend, these books were beginning to show her what a cruel bitch she really was...

**~- yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."~**

"THAT IS TOTAL BULLSHIT!" Michaela and Elront roared, grinning at each other while Galandriel facepalmed. Charlie looked at Michaela with a smile - maybe he should ask her out soon... There was a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, and he could probably get permission from Dumbledore to take Michaela out into muggle London...

~**Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed,~**

"No, you need a brain in order to notice things. That means he can't have noticed it." Luna said cheerfully, causing Naomi to fall over laughing, her hand raised to keep her hood up. Galandriel watched the half-siren with curiosity; did she not want anyone to know of her heritage? There was also the question as to why she was at Hogwarts instead of with her mother, perhaps she wasn't allowed to see her...? But sirens were extremely protective of their young, so why would she not be allowed to see her mother...?

She would have to speak to Naomi soon.

**~because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -"**

**They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Dorea and Ron first.**

**"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter -"**

**Dorea moved automatically toward Hermione.**

**"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Bulstrode."**

**Malfoy strutted over, smirking.**

**Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Dorea of a picture she'd seen in Holidays with Hags.~**

Many people were literally rolling around on the floor in laughter as Millicent stared at Dorea in shock. Dorea just winced and sent her a sheepish smile.

"I never said any descriptions would be flattering, and I never intended for anyone to know that!" she said. Millicent flushed and looked at her hands. She had been wondering more along the lines of how Dorea figured out that her father was quarter-Hag. Since she apparently didn't, her secret was completely safe.

~**She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return.**

**"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"**

**Dorea and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.~**

Moody nodded appreciatively, the girl was smart even at a young age, never take your eyes off the enemy. Especially if you're running.

~**"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents - only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents - one... Two... Three -"**

**Dorea swung her wand high, but Malfoy had already started on "two":~**

Dorea nodded as Molly stared at Malfoy in shock.

"He was treating it like a real duel, where you don't have warnings or anyone to prevent the damage." Dorea said dully, Narcissa nodding in approval. However, she couldn't help but watch Dorea with a worried gaze, why did she seem so tense about the idea of dueling? She nearly slapped herself - she was an idiot, Dorea just dueled the Dark Lord in June and barely got away with her life(or virginity) intact!

~**His spell hit Dorea so hard she felt as though she'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. She stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Dorea pointed her wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!"~**

"Which can be used to force your opponent to literally laugh themselves to death." Dorea said loudly, causing many to shiver. That was a spell taught to first years, and it could easily be used to kill... Merlin, Dark Magic wasn't the only magic that people needed to look for, was it?

Dumbledore and Flitwick, on the other hand, smiled as they realized what Dorea was doing. She was telling them that in a real battle, any spell, no matter how simple it may seem, can be used to murder another human being. She was teaching them that Magic was all about how you intend on using it, such as someone could intend to use the Imperious Curse on a muggle to prevent them from committing suicide. For every spell there was a flip side to each predetermined intent, the side that you have to think about to discover.

Dorea was trying to get everyone to find that flip.

~**A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.**

**"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd,~**

"Did he expect them to listen?" Moody asked in shock. Gryffindors and Slytherins were being paired up here, the House Rivalry prevented them from doing anything other than attack each other mercilessly.

**~as Malfoy sank to his knees; Dorea had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Dorea hung back, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor,~**

"In a real battle unsporting is sporting." Dorea said darkly, thinking back to June. She... She had used an Unforgiveable... But she hadn't even thought about what she was doing...

Perhaps... That was why Voldemort was all the more obsessed with making her his Queen... Because she wasn't Light...

Or Dark...

Dorea was _Gray_...

Like her family.

~**but this was a mistake; gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Dorea's knees, choked, "Tarantallegra!" and the next second Dorea's legs began to jerk around out of her control in a kind of quickstep.**

**"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.**

**"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted;~**

Dumbledore nodded, that was the right thing to do.

~**Dorea****'s feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were able to look up. A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain;~**

"Sorry..." Millicent muttered. Michaela narrowed her eyes, walked over to Millicent, and took a long sniff of her hair. Ignoring the odd looks she was getting from everyone, Michaela simply smiled at Millicent.

"I wouldn't blame you, you simply couldn't control the strength back then." she said simply before returning to her spot. Millicent's eyes widened in shock - so Michaela, the High Elf girl, knew her secret... And didn't seem to care. Maybe the others in the Circle wouldn't either...? No, no, she couldn't, they would humiliate her, mock her, hate her... Just like people did her grandfather for sleeping with her grandmother...

**both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. **

**Dorea leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult: She was a lot bigger than she was.**

**"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan... Careful there, Miss Fawcett... Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot.~**

Dorea, Madam Pomfrey, and the Misfits all began to hiss in anger.

"You don't pinch it; you apply pressure with a clean towel!" Madam Pomfrey snarled. Many professors slowly backed away from her in fear that she would lash out.

_Again_.

**~I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said** **Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. **

**"Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you -"**

**"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat.~**

Many began to laugh at Dorea's description of the Greasy Dungeon Bat.

~**"Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker.~**

Remus' eyes flashed amber, Dorea and Lily's eyes began to glow, and Sierra's hair looked as though it was about to catch on fire as they all glared at Snape angrily for that comment. Snape, for once in his life, thought about his options and Silently threw up a shield.

Just in case.

~**"How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile.**

**"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Dorea and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.**

**"Now, Dorea," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."**

**He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops -my wand is a little overexcited -"~**

Everyone stared at the book with exasperation. Dorea snickered and Michaela smirked at each other.

"No thanks, we prefer our way." they said at the same time. Those who had seen either girl when they snapped shivered - beating someone with a bloody hockey stick (Dan still had no idea where Michaela had gotten that from, he suspected that she stole it from someone) would be effective in a duel, but it was really a scary sight. Especially considering the dead look in their eyes as they look at the person as they beat them.

Thankfully that only happened once, when Piers attempted to touch Dorea's chest before her fourth year at Hogwarts.

Needless to say Dudleys gang was terrified of Michaela and Dorea when they were around each other.

~**Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Dorea looked up nervously at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"~**

"Watching him make a fool of himself made me feel better." Dorea shrugged as Bill laughed and kissed his girlfriend. He couldn't help but smile at the thought - Dorea was _his_, his beautiful, smart, witty, powerful, and most perfect girlfriend _ever_.

He never wanted to let her go.

~**"Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.**

**"You. Wish," said Dorea out of the corner of her mouth.**

**Lockhart cuffed Dorea merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Dorea!"**

**"What, drop my wand?"~**

Everyone began laughing once again. James grinned at his daughter.

"Yep, you definitely got your mother's cheek!" he said, ruffling the messy raven locks. Dorea let out a small whine and swatted her father's hand away, attempting to fix the mess that was her hair.

She hadn't had time to brush it that morning, alright?

~**But Lockhart wasn't listening.**

**"Three - two - one - go!" he shouted.**

**Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"**

**The end of his wand exploded. Dorea watched, amazed, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. Dorea didn't understand why they were scared; it was a beautiful Black Mamba... It was so rare a breed...~**

Everyone shook their head. Dorea just shrugged.

"Snakes are wonderful and misunderstood creatures. I happen to adore them." she said simply. Bill smiled and kissed Dorea's scar.

"The only reason I don't like snakes is because in Egypt they are a pain when you're uncovering a hidden tomb of an ancient Priest." he muttered. Dorea nodded considerably, she could totally understand that reasoning.

**~"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Dorea standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."~**

"YOU TOLD HIM TO USE THAT SPELL!" Lily screamed, glaring at Snape with all her might. "YOU WANTED HER TO GET ATTACKED BY THAT SNAKE! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!"

It took the combined efforts of Dorea, Bill, James, Sirius, Remus, and Michaela to pin Lily back down in her seat, tie her up, duct tape her mouth (which Michaela provided from Hammer Space), and take her wand away to keep her from committing murder.

Madam Bones, on the other hand, was writing this down under offences that Snape committed. _Encouraging and suggesting attacks..._

**~"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart.~**

Everyone that wasn't still fooled by Lockhart facepalmed. Merlin, what was he going to do?

~**He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. Dorea's eyes narrowed, now that was just wrong, to take out its anger on the first person it saw!~**

People blinked in surprise - so she _didn't_ encourage it to attack?

~**Dorea**** wasn't sure what made him do it. She wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All she knew was that her legs were carrying her forward as though she was on casters and that she had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!"~**

Jaws dropped. She... She had attempted to protect Justin... Not hurt him...

Merlin there was apologies in order.

~**The snake turned to Dorea, anger flying through its beautiful navy blue eyes.**

**"Why ssshould I, SSSpeaker?" it hissed. Dorea didn't even think about the fact that the snake had just talked to her - hadn't a boa constrictor spoken to her the summer before? - as she stared the snake down.**

**"He was not the one to attack you! The one who did that has fled!" Dorea shouted. She knew it was a lie, she could hear Lockhart whimpering behind her, but the Mamba didn't know that. After several tense moments, the snake miraculously slumped on the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, still staring at Dorea.**

**"Fine then, have you way, SSSpeaker." it hissed. Dorea felt the fear drain out of her as she slowly approached the snaked, lifting it up and wrapping it around her shoulders. She could feel that it wouldn't last long, it was a snake conjured by a second year, so of course it wouldn't, and she wanted to spend time with it before it faded.**

**She looked up at Justin, smiling, expecting to see Justin relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared.~**

"Which is why I forgave you right away." Dorea said, causing many to sigh. Dorea was just too forgiving for her own good.

~**"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Dorea could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. Snape stepped forward, and to Dorea's immense disappointment, the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looked at Dorea in an unexpected way; it was a shrewd and calculating look, one that Dorea's didn't like in the slightest.**

**She was also dimly away of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Then she felt a tugging on the back of her robes.**

**"Come on," said Ron's voice in her ear. "Move - come on -"~**

James nodded appreciatively.

"Good idea, get her somewhere where no one will be able to see her. Wait," he turned to Dorea. "Why didn't you realize what you were doing?" Dorea shrugged.

"The block on my accidental magic was never removed when I was 5," Dumbledore's head shot up. She had had a block on her accidental magic?! "So the block warped. I only had passive Parseltongue abilities, meaning that I could only speak to snakes when I saw one. Now that the block's been removed I don't have to see a snake to speak Parseltongue." she explained shortly. Dumbledore sighed and looked at his feet.

"Dorea, if I had known that you had a block on your accidental magic then I would have visited you to remove it." he said shortly. Dorea nodded - that certainly explained why it hadn't been removed and why Dumbledore never visited her. He hadn't known about it.

~**Ron steered him out of the hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something.~**

"Well that's nice. Ostracized the year prior for something unfair, this year because of an ability that no one else has." Sirius huffed for Lily, who looked as though she was going to murder everyone in the Hall who wasn't muttering apologies to Dorea or in their third year and below.

~**Dorea**** didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged her all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Then Ron pushed Dorea into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"**

**"I'm a **_**what**_**?" said Dorea in confusion.**

**"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"**

**"I know," said Dorea calmly. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil, and I sort of set it free without meaning - to that was before I knew I was a witch -"**

**"A boa constrictor **_**told**__**you**_** it had never seen **_**Brazil**_**?" Ron repeated faintly, looking extremely pale.~**

"I was worried because now everyone would think that she was the Heir of Slytherin." Ron muttered. "Not to mention that You-Know-Who was the last known Parselmouth before her..."

~**"So?" said Dorea. "I bet loads of people can do it - my neighbour always seems to understand animals when they're barking or chirping or mewling, so it shouldn't be that uncommon, is it?"~**

Michaela stood up and did a little spin, much to the shock of her grandparents. For a High Elf of a Tamer Clan, to be able to speak to all animals was a rare and beautiful gift that was only found once every hundred or so year. And Michaela could speak to animals...

Their Clan was going to bite themselves in the ass for how they've been treating Michaela all her life.

~**"What?" Ron asked, and then shook his head. "But, Dorea, no, they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift, same with your neighbour's ability. But for you, Dorea, this is bad. Real bad."~**

"Bad because of the attacks." Ron clarified. Everyone nodded before Susan had a chance to hit Ron. He had meant that everyone would now think that Dorea was the Heir of Slytherin...

~**"What's bad?" said Dorea, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin -"**

**"Oh, that's what you said to it?"**

**"What d'you mean? You were there - you **_**heard**_** me -"**

**"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything - no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you could have been egging the snake on or something - it was creepy, you know -"**

**Dorea gaped at him.**

**"I spoke a different **_**language**_**? But - I didn't realize - how can I speak a language without **_**knowing**_** I can speak it?"~**

"Passive Parseltongue." Dorea said automatically.

~**Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Dorea couldn't see what was so terrible about this, it was just an ability and a language, like speaking French or Italian. What was the big deal about it?~**

"That Slytherin's monster was being forced to attack students and that Slytherin was a Parseltongue." Bill growled. He could speak English, Arabic, Gobbledygook, and Mandarin, there was absolutely nothing wrong with being able to speak another language, magical or not!

~**"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" she snapped. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"**

**"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "Because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."**

**Dorea's mouth fell open. Oh, **_**that**_** was what was bad. The attacks that were happening.**

**"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-granddaughter or something -"~**

"Technically you need to add in about half a dozen more greats and you're accurate." James said calmly. He had long ago come to terms with his heritage, it wasn't like his ancestors made him who he was, so it shouldn't bother him as to who they were.

~**"But I'm not," said Dorea, with a panic he couldn't quite explain. She felt as though she was rejecting the truth for some reason...~**

"Because I was. My ancestors don't decide what kind of person I am, so I could care less as to who they are and what they did." Dorea shrugged. James smiled at his daughter, it was good to know that they shared that philosophy.

**~"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."**

**Dorea lay awake for hours that night. Through a gap in the curtains around her four-poster she watched snow starting to drift past the tower window and wondered...**  
**Could she be a descendant of Salazar Slithering? She didn't know anything about her father's family, after all.~**

Many glared at Snape for that.

~**The Dursleys had always forbidden questions about her wizarding relatives, though Dorea suspected that was because they didn't know anything about them. Quietly, Dorea tried to say something in Parseltongue. The words wouldn't come. It seemed that she had to be face-to-face with a snake to do it, no matter how wrong that idea felt.~**

"Parseltongue is like a second nature towards Parselmouths. To not be able to speak it at will is like only being capable of speaking your first language when first spoken to, it's almost painful." Dorea said, comparing the two ideas to something that everyone else would be able to understand. Many of the people in the Hall winced at the idea, no wonder Dorea was glad to have that block gone. To feel like that all the time must have been painful...

~**But I'm in Gryffindor, Dorea thought. The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put me in here if I had Slytherin blood...**

**Ah, said a nasty little voice in her brain, but the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don't you remember?**

**For some reason that slightly scared Dorea, the idea of being in Slytherin, of being related to Slytherin, wasn't all that uncomfortable at all. It was like the second half to who she was as a person.~**

Many people nodded, that's how a witch or wizard felt when they accepted their heritage. It was part of the family magic that they had as a result of their heritage.

**~Dorea turned over. She'd see Justin the next day in Herbology and she'd explain that she'd been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (she thought angrily, pummelling her pillow) any fool should have realized.~**

"Once I calmed down I did, which was why I was looking for you the next day." Justin said, looking at Nick. He had been speaking to Nick when he saw those yellow eyes... Those poison yellow eyes...

~**By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.**

**Dorea fretted about this next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Hermione used their time off to play a game of wizard chess.**

**"For heaven's sake, Dorea," said Hermione, exasperated, as one of Ron's bishops wrestled her knight off his horse and dragged him off the board. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."**

**So Dorea got up and left through the portrait hole, wondering where Justin might be.**

**The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling gray snow at every window. Shivering, Dorea walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger.~**

Cedric mock glared at his Ravenclaw friend(who had skipped a year in Transfiguration because of his abilities in the subject) who had done that to him. The boy had fallen over laughing at the memories, but Cedric had gotten him back moments later by turning him into an eagle.

McGonagall had nearly thrown a fit when she saw what Cedric had done. It had been worth the 15 points docked.

~**Resisting the urge to take a look, Dorea walked on by, thinking that Justin might be using his free time to catch up on some work, and deciding to check the library first.**

**A group of the Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working. Between the long lines of high bookshelves, Dorea could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. She couldn't see whether Justin was among them. She was walking toward them when something of what they were saying met her ears, and he paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section.~**

Many snickered at the irony - right when Dorea wants to hide she chooses the Invisibility section.

~**"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as her next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born.~**

Justin glared at Zacharias.

"That was before the first attack and no, I hadn't been." he snapped at the forsaken Hufflepuff.

~**Justin actually told her he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"**

**"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Zacharias?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.**

**"Hannah," said the stout boy solemnly, "She's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark witch wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes?~**

Lady Helena glared icily at Smith.

"Salazar was close to an uncle to me. He was kind, generous, always had time for those who needed it, and put those he cared about before anyone else. He had faults, but he was human. And also," she said as she floated back towards Dorea. "The Dark wizard of the founders was Godric. To be a Dark witch of wizard means to use emotion based magic rather than intent based magic. The only time that Salazar allowed his emotions to enter a fight was when he was fighting the brother of his late wife. In that sense, he was the Light wizard, due to his magic being completely intent based." she lectured. Dorea blinked and stared at Helena, thinking it through. Did that mean that, instead of being a Dark wizard, that Voldemort was a Black wizard? She had heard the term many times before, from overhearing coversations between Flitwick and Dumbledore, but had never really put any thought behind it.

Hermione was the one to speak up.

"Then what would the classification for magic that can only be used for darker purposes be?" she asked, thinking of several "Dark" curses that could only cause harm, such as the Organ Melting Curse. Helena smiled at Hermione for the intelligent question.

"Those would be classified as Black Magic. White magic would be purely good purposes, such as the Patronus Charm. However, the Patronus Charm is powered off powerful emotions, classifying it as a Dark White spell. Curses such as the Flesh Eating Curse or the Organ Eating Curse are classified as Light Black magic. What the spell is powered off is listed first for the classifications, then the lighter or darker the intent of the spell. However, most spells are classified as Gray Gray because they are a mix of intent and emotion base while they can be used as Black or White magic." she explained. Many people were writing this down in case they were later charged with using Dark Magic - with the Ministry improperly classifying magic, who knew how many cases of "Dark" witches and wizards were improperly conducted?

**~They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."~**

"It was his nickname because for one Halloween Godric has put a potion in his juice that turned his tongue into that of a serpent's. An inside joke, if you will." Baron Williams said, causing Smith to scowl. They had completely destroyed all his arguments!

~**There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on,**

**"Remember what was written on the wall? **_**Enemies of the Heir, Beware**_**. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of her whiles he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know - Creevey's been attacked."~**

"Dorea was asleep in the Hospital Wing when Colin was attacked." Susan snapped, glaring at Smith. She hadn't been in the library at that time, she had been...

Alright, she had been conducting her own investigation.

But she had never considered Dorea a suspect! Like Dorea said, she wasn't stupid and wouldn't allow herself to be caught at the crime scene if she had been the one to attack Filch's cat or Colin!

~**"She always seems so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "And, well, she's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. She can't be all bad, can she? Especially with how she forgave us with how we all treated her last year..."~**

"Thanks, Hannah." Dorea said happily, glad to be reminded that not all the Hufflepuffs had fallen for Smith's lies.

**~Zacharias lowered his voice mysteriously, the Hufflepuffs bent closer, and Dorea edged nearer so that he could catch Ernie's words.**

"**No one knows how she survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, she was only a baby when it happened. She should have been blasted into smithereens.~**

"The Killing Curse doesn't blast people into smithereens. It simultaneously induces a heart attack while destroying the victim's magical core, killing them in an instant." Luna said seriously. Everyone looked at her curiously, shocked to see how serious her expression was. "It was the curse that my mother was attempting to uncover the secrets of when she died. She did, however, manage to uncover the secrets just moments before she was killed and managed to use a Dicta-Quill to write it down. It's in the Department of Mysteries now."

**~Only a really powerful Dark witch or wizard could have survived a curse like that."**~

"He's a powerful Black wizard, not Dark." Dorea corrected.

~**He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You- Know-Who wanted to kill her in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lady competing with him. I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"~**

The vindictive grin on Dorea's face made many edge away in fear.

~**Dorea**** couldn't take anymore. Clearing her throat loudly, she stepped out from behind the bookshelves. If she hadn't been feeling so angry, she would have found the sight that greeted her a funny one: Every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been Petrified by the sight of her, and the colour was draining out of Zacharias' face.~**

"Just as it ssshould be..." Dorea hissed in Parseltongue under her breath, cackling to herself as she planned her prank on the poor sucker. He would never see it coming.

~**"Hello," said Dorea calmly. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."**

**The Hufepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Zacharias.**

**"What do you want with him?" said Zacharias in a quavering voice.**

**"I wanted to tell him what **_**really**_** happened with that snake at the Duelling Club," said Dorea.**

**Zacharias bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."**

**"Then you noticed that after I yelled at it, the snake backed off?" said Dorea, tapping her foot impatiently.**

**"All I saw," said Zacharias stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "Was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin. "**

**"Are you all stupid?" Dorea asked, her voice shaking with anger. "I didn't chase it at him! It didn't even touch him!"**

**"It was a very near miss," said Zacharias pompously. Dorea held herself back from getting Michaela's hockey stick from Hammer Space to pound his face in.~**

Dan, Dante, Cat, and Sierra all screamed in panic and began running around in terror at the looks on Michaela and Dorea's faces.

"I TOLD YOU THEY'RE INSANE!" Sierra screamed while clinging onto Cat. Cat was curling up in a corner crying.

"THEY AREN'Y INSANE, THEY'RE PSYCHOTIC!" Dan screamed back, hiding behind... _Dumbledore_? Well, at least he had a good sense of who could protect him.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Dante wailed, glomping Blaise and burying his head into the Slytherin's chest. Blaise wrapped his arms around Dante and pulled him close, planting a kiss on the half Water Nymph's forehead. Michaela and Dorea began to smile pleasantly at the sight.

"Oh, Dante, are you and Zabini together?" Dorea asked calmly. Dante, still shaking, nodded nervously. Blaise chuckled as the scared teen snuggled up to him.

"We got together the same night that you and Bill did." he explained quietly. Malfoy was looking at Blaise in disgust; he had never known that the Italian was gay! Otherwise he never would have shared a dorm with him.

The topic being completely turned away from Dorea and Michaela's murderous looks at the mention of a certain hockey stick, Sinistra continued reading. Hopefully someone would explain what happened with that hockey stick later on...

~** "And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"**

"**I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Dorea fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?"**

**"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Zacharias swiftly. Dorea's eye twitched at the mention of the Dursleys.**

**"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Dorea. "I'd like to see you try it.~**

Everyone looked at the Dursleys, Vernon apparently screaming in pain. It appeared the pain had intensified from what he had grown used to thanks to the Justice Spell.

~**Also," she said, bringing her Slytherin side out to play again. "You do know that I'm a girl, right?" she asked. The Hufflepuffs all nodded slowly. "So you all realize that, if I was stupid enough to actually announce to the **_**entire school**_** that I am the one behind the attacks, not **_**only**_** would I not be the first one at the crime scene, but that I would actually use proper grammar and say **_**Heiress**_** instead of **_**Heir**_**, which is a term for the male gender?"~**

Many Slytherins gave Dorea a standing ovation for that comment. Not only had she managed to prove how idiotic the idea of suspecting her was, but she also managed to insult the intelligence of those Hufflepuffs without them even realizing it. That was truly how a Slytherin played.

**~And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the library, earning herself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spell book that Dorea recognized to be one in Old English rather than Latin.~**

"Wait, how did you recognize that?" Hermione asked curiously. Dorea shifted in her seat and flushed.

"... I found a spell that allowed me to temporarily read Old English in the first few weeks of my first year. I used that spell to learn how to read it without the spell activated, so... Yeah... But all the spells in that book at NEWT level spells, so I wasn't really interested in them." Dorea explained. Madam Bones looked at Dorea appreciatively.

"Lady Potter, I highly recommend that you take up a career with either Curse Breaking for Gringotts or translating documents for the Ministry if you learned how to read Old English in your first year at Hogwarts." she said, incredibly impressed. Not many people could read Old English, let alone learn it on their own at the age of 11.

**~Dorea blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where she was going, she was in such a fury. The result was that she walked into something very large and solid, which knocked her backward onto the floor.**

**"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Dorea said, looking up. **

**Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.~**

"Oh, what happened to the poor thing?" Michaela asked, looking upset at the mention. Ginny looked almost as upset as Michaela did, and that was truly saying something, considering how close Michaela was to animals.

~**"All righ', Dorea?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?"**

**"Cancelled," said Dorea, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"**

**Hagrid held up the limp rooster.**

**"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."~**

"It wasn't either." Dorea and Ginny muttered at the same time. Many people in the Circle, all of whom didn't know of Ginny's possession, looked at the two curiously. What did they know about this?

~**He peered more closely at Dorea from under his thick, snow flecked eyebrows.**

**"Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered -"**

**Dorea couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about her.**

**"It's nothing, just stress," she said. "I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books."**

**She walked off, his mind still full of what Zacharias had said about her.~**

Smith didn't look regretful in the slightest, something that many Hufflepuffs were glowering at him for. Perhaps they could censure him from their House...

~_**"Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born..."**_

**Dorea** **stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. She was halfway down the passage when she tripped headlong over something lying on the floor. She turned to squint at what she'd fallen over and felt as though her stomach had dissolved.~**

Everyone winced. _Don't tell me she came across __**another**__ attack..._ they all thought.

~**Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.**

**And that wasn't all.**

**Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Dorea had ever seen. It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.~**

James paled.

"But - what the hell can Petrify a ghost?!" he asked. Dorea sighed.

"You'll find out at the end of the book. Unlike the first book, this one doesn't give many obvious hints until the monster is actually revealed." she said simply. Those who knew about magical creatures better than anyone (being the High Elves) looked at each other nervously. The three of them knew that the only thing the monster could be was a serpent, and the only serpent that could kill without having to bite was a basilisk. But none of the victims so far had been murdered...

Michaela's head shot up as she looked at Dorea with horror. None of the victims had looked the monster directly in the eye except Nick, and common sense told her that ghosts can't die a second time around. Dorea caught Michaela's gaze and, seemingly reading her mind, nodded solemnly. Shaking, Michaela slowly turned back to the book.

The monster was a basilisk.

Dorea faced a basilisk and lived.

Dorea killed a basilisk.

Dorea was a basilisk slayer.

Poor basilisk.

~**Dorea got to her feet, her breathing fast and shallow, her heart doing a kind of drum roll against her ribs. She looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies.~**

While many looked confused, Michaela, Galandriel, and Elront looked panicked. They were right. It was a basilisk.

"What was Slytherin thinking, keeping that in the school?! He must have been nuts!" Galandriel exclaimed, causing many to stare in shock. She knew what it was?!

Michaela was the one to answer.

"I doubt that he thought any of his descendants would be willing to attack people attending the school, that's the only reason I can think of him doing such a thing." she replied. Dorea nodded in agreement, that was the same solution that she had come to the moment she found out that she really was Slytherin's descendant.

~**The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.**

**She could run, and no one would ever know she had been there. But she couldn't just leave them lying here... She had to get help... Would anyone believe she hadn't had anything to do with this?**

**As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to her opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.**

**"Why, it's potty wee Dorea!" cackled Peeves, knocking Dorea's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Dorea up to? Why's Dorea lurking -"**

**Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Dorea saw an expression on his face that she has never seen before - panic and fear. Nothing but panic and fear. Upside down, he had spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Dorea could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"~**

Peeves floated down in front of Dorea and swept into a low bow.

"Peevesie would like to apologize to Missy Potty for that." he said solemnly. Most of the Hall stared at him in shock, even if he had been panicking they didn't think he would apologize for that. Dorea just waved it off.

"You were panicking because Nick was Petrified as well, no harm really done." she said simply. Many looked down, she hadn't considered everyone turning even further against her to be any harm...?

~**Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Dorea found herself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair.~**

"That had looked so cool." Dorea said. The black haired student, now a seventh year, smirked and turned his hair back to the way it had been. Tonks made an excited noise and copied it before conjuring a mirror. Surprisingly, it suited both of them really well. Tonks' hair was slightly longer, but other than that the two hairstyles were basically identical.

~**She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Zacharias the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.**

**"Caught in the act!" Zacharias yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.~**

Smith screamed in pain as a vine appeared out of the ground next to him and whipped him, cutting cross his shoulder to reveal bone. Many people looked at an enraged Michaela, her eyes almost dead, her face completely expressionless.

"You knew nothing of what happened. Assume that my sister attacks someone like that against and it will be your neck next time." she said, her voice strangely calm as she sat back down. Dan shuddered and looked at Smith.

"She'll do it, trust me. I've seen her and what she can do with a hockey stick - you don't want to know what she can do with her vines, especially when she really uses her power." he said. Dante sent Sinistra a look that said she should keep reading, which she did as Madam Pomfrey began to look over Smith's injury, shocked to see that the liquid that the plant gave off was clotting the blood to prevent bleeding, but not healing. Such a strange plant, she was sure that Sprout had never seen it before...

~**"That will do, Smith!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.**

**Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. Dorea knew better than anyone, however, that he was trying to keep up appearances at the moment. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off' students, you think it's good fun -"~**

Dorea rolled her eyes.

"And how long did it take you to figure that song out, Peeves? 5 minutes?" she taunted. "You're lucky I helped you plan the dance number."

Ron and Hermione both slammed their heads against the table in front of them. Only Dorea would make a dance number to a song that was insulting her. Only Dorea.

~**"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Dorea, his eyes apologetic.**

**Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick.**

**In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Zacharias with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Zacharias did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Dorea and Professor McGonagall alone together.**

**"This way, Potter," she said.**

**"Professor," said Dorea at once, "I swear I didn't -"**

**"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.~**

"I should have explained myself better, Dorea." McGonagall said. "It was out of my hands due to the fact that you were the first witness on the scene to more than one attack. You had to go to Professor Dumbledore to tell him what happened." she explained. Dorea sent McGonagall a look.

"Couldn't have explained that then?" she asked dryly. Many people began snickering as McGonagall flushed in embarrassment.

~**They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.**

**"Sherbet Lemon!" she said, rolling her eyes.~**

Dumbledore pouted. McGonagall never approved of his passwords. Not one. Dorea smiled at Dumbledore.

"You know, Professor, you should keep your passwords muggle candies. Not many people will be able to guess it that way because of the large variety of candy. May I suggest Red Vines?" she said cheekily. Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle - he would take the idea of using muggle candy names seriously, but not her suggestion. Dorea and her Red Vines, the only candy she outright refuses besides Cockroach Clusters.

~**This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind her split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Dorea couldn't fail to be amazed. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As he and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Dorea heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Dorea saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.~**

"Professor, was that a crack at Gryffindor?" Ron asked. Lady Helena shook her head.

"No, what is now the Headmaster's and Headmistress' office is what once was Godric's office. Salazar's office and Helga's office are now sealed off, and Rowena's office was never discovered by anyone other than the Founders." she commented. "So, no matter what anyone tries, that door knocker will always remain the same."

~**She knew now where she was being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived.~**

Sinistra marked the page and closed the book.

"And that's the chapter." she said as someone knocked on the doors to the Great Hall. Everyone looked around curiously. Who could it possibly be this time?

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Aaand CLIFFY! Yeah, I know, I'm horrible. First it takes me 2 weeks to update, now I'm leaving you guys with a cliffhanger. Good news? MARCH BREAK~! Meaning I should be able to update again this week!**

**Word Count: 17,229**

**Damn, pretty good! Besides, I owe you guys the long chapter due to the long wait!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**il2swim57: YAY! I love Hetalia so much, my favourite character is Canada too~~~! Though that may be a bit biased because I'm Canadian as well, even if I act more America... My favourite episode has to be from Beautiful World, though, with the Canadian Club! I would totally join it, and not just because Canada is in it and Japan wants to join! (two main factors right there, another being the maple in the club) Yeah, I know... I felt like I was writing a filler when I wrote that chapter, and everyone hates fillers, you know? I decided that Narcissa, since she saved canon Harry's life in the seventh book, should have more of a backbone when she finds out what her husband is really doing. My idea is that she went along when she didn't know completely what Lucius was doing, and by the time she did it was already too late to do anything about it. I think it would only makes sense for her to talk to Canadian and American witches in the fourth book, considering that JKR wrote that there were witches and wizards from all over the world at that match. So why not talk to a few people from other countries? Oh wow, I'll be sure to check it out! My OCs don't have a large influence on the main plot of the books, mainly they're here to up the bashing. Especially Michaela, since her past... When Molly and Ginny hate her in the sixth book for being engaged to Charlie is when it, as well as how Michaela is behind the mask that she puts up in public, it will be revealed. And Molly will feel absolutely horrible for what she said to Michaela between the end of the second book(when Michaela and Charlie get together) and the beginning of the sixth book.**

**MistBlade8: I always look forward to your reviews, you know that, right? *falls over laughing* I am totally using that reference in the next few chapters when talking about Lockhart! But excellent point, what dementor STUMBLES?! They'll all go full out murder-panic-attack mode. Mainly murder when it comes to Michaela's point of view. Nah, he's an idiot that likes to make up words and non-existent, non-working spells to make himself feel better.**

**Aida Ines Zenobia: Be sure to tell me how Abi reacts when she sees this chapter is up, alright? :) My totally awesome friends in Italy at the moment, you'll probably be some of the first to review this chapter thanks to the time difference! (finishing this chapter at 1:15 am) No human but Naomi and Luna know that Luna is a Seer at the moment, and let's be honest, Voldemort would never listen to non-humans, so her secrets are safe. Fluff fluff fluff~! I am a master a writing fluff~! Hmmm... 3? Maybe 4? I don't really know right now... Definitely not as many as Molly, though. Yeah, that's what I was aiming for, for people to want to murder Molly. She pisses me off so much in canon - GAAAAAAAH! *freaks out anime style* Yeah, homework sucks. French assignment and math review due after the break. *sighs* IN CANADA WE HAVE FAMILY DAY INSTEAD OF PRESIDENTS DAY SO HAPPY REALLY LATE FAMILY DAY!**

**AbigailPaine: Abi~! ... *points at badge* Can I get one of those? *dodges box of badges sent my way via Aida* WITHOUT them getting thrown at me?! *bites down on chocolate bar* The Anti-Molly Club Chocolate Bar to raise money to buy more merchandise! *hands you two bars of chocolate***

**griffindork: Harry Crow is truly a beautiful story. Love it with all my heart. I'm thinking about having Lily and Molly duel one of these days, or maybe having Hermione's mom bitch at Molly over her behavior. Yeah, there will be LOTS AND LOTS of Lockhart bashing up until the very last chapter of the book, considering that it's the only thing that Snape and the Marauders get along for. So I'm gonna have fun~ bashing him~! She's ruling out the rule breaking as panicking and fear, so she sees it as acceptable but not right. WEASLEY TWINS ARE AWESOME LIKE PRUSSIA! Don't worry, they will. Especially when they start going around mocking the idea of Dorea being the Heiress of Slytherin. *snorts* Dorea could kick his ass any day, magically and physically. I like the idea that she was kept in the dark as to what Lucius was really doing with their son, and as to how he was behaving. So yeah, when she finds out the truth she takes a stand. He's more of a Gryffindor than a Slytherin, isn't he? Dobby and Dorea's relationship is awesome, but unfortunately I won't be changing that. It's important to the plot, considering that it's how Griphook was willing to trust Dorea's word. She isn't a normal witch, so he treated her more like a equal in the terms of their agreement.**

**je buurman: I would prefer cookies, but biscuits are good too! Fleur will be the one to have the lonely loveless life, but Malfoy has to marry to continue his family line, so he does get married. But who says that he loves the woman that he marries? *winks* Yes, he loves all cute things, sorta like Prussia from Hetalia. Cuteness is his weakness. So you can imagine his reaction when he sees Dorea's partially transformed with cat ears and a tail. ;)**

**Venequine1990: Oh, wow... *blushing bright red at praise* Thank you? *blinks* Oh wow, you do? That's really cool! *winces* Your's got deleted in the purge? I got lucky and posted this after the purge, when things had calmed down a bit. Helps that I didn't use "Hogwarts reads the Books" in my title, or in the summary, so it keeps it harder to find if you just look up that sentence. My version of Dumbledore is the one that I see as one of the two possibilities that he can be - either he's totally naive and innocent or he's a manipulative old bastard. Since I want to avoid the second possibility as much as possible, I'm making him innocent and naive and adorable grandpa-ness! *giggles* Don't worry, I don't ever plan on giving up this story. Yeah, it may take a while between updates, but I plan on seeing this story through until the end.**

**IceBlueRose: TO BEGIN WITH: *stares at your review in shock* HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IT THAT LONG?! Did you really have that much to say about my story?! Mon Dieu... I am totally saving that comment just for kicks! *begins reading* Well, that's honestly how I see her in canon, she began to act open minded towards Fleur at the end of the sixth book and yet was still incredibly judgement and controlling towards Ron, Harry, and Hermione in the seventh book. And honestly? JKR never mentioned anything about Molly's obsession with Lockhart after the second book, so I'm assuming that she still has a crush on the bastard. I love Narcissa's character, because she honestly does what is best for her son even when things are grim. In the fourth book I got the impression that she was judging the Weasleys and Harry off of what her son and husband told her, but that she never was really known how her husband and son act when she's not around. She was raised by Blacks, meaning that behavior and appearances are everything, as well as family loyalty. Hence, when she finds out that her husband attempted to kill her cousin and family Heiress(I love that part of the movie so I'm combining it with the description of the scene in the book) she'll flip out, not to mention it shows just how Lucius really behaves in public. Honestly, with how the Slytherins are changing because of these books he's going to be much more tolerant towards the idea than Molly or Ginny, pure Light Gryffindors, would ever be. Harry's quiet because he's focusing more on how others are reacting to the books and comparing Dorea's reactions to his own, seeing just how different the two of them are in different situations. I see the canon Harry as a perfect blend of Lily and James. This Harry, from a different dimension as canon Harry, is on this line but leans more towards James. Dorea is also on this line, but she leans much more towards Lily than James. Makes sense? As for how she handles the argument - she reconsiders how much their friendship is worth compared to her sanity. But then we all remember that Dorea lost her sanity long ago and therefore has nothing to lose when she keeps both of them as her friends :D That also bothered me about Hermione, it's almost as though she was testing the boundaries of their friendship to see how far she could push him until their friendship was finished. I'm going to make the reason that Ron turns on Dorea a little different than in the canon, it won't be entirely based off jealously, but anger and fear. Because he thinks that Dorea put her name in the Goblet he's angry at her for doing something so stupid and terrified about what can happen to her, which I think should be the reason that he would abandon Harry in canon. As for the Occlumency lessons, which is really just Snape sabotaging Dorea's chances at learning Occlumency, needless to say that Blood Feud turns into a Blood War. *nods* Why thank you! I find it ridiculous that people don't focus on the effects that had on Hermione, Neville, or Harry in canon at all - Hermione **_**stopped answering questions in class**_**, Neville was a **_**blubbering mess**_**, and Harry **_**swore to stop snooping around.**_** You know things are bad when that happens! As for the destruction of Dorea's property - I've learnt from experience that girls are far more cruel then boys when it comes to bullying, and the destruction of property is just one of the many first steps to bullying when it comes to girls. It's especially easy if their belongings are right in front of you. And I like the idea of a naive Dumbledore who's learning just how much the world has changed and is determined to fix the mistakes that he made in the past because of his image of the world being in the past much better than the other way to write Dumbledore, which is the manipulative old bastard. He's realizing just how grown up Dorea really is with these books, and once she learns Occlumency he will tell her about the Prophecy, as well as trusting her with the Horcrux Hunt much more than he would anyone else. Especially when you consider that Dorea understands Voldemort better than anyone else **_**because**_** she and him are so much alike. It's like Harry's canon understanding of Voldemort, but stronger. Yeah, he will, and I'm thinking about doing that in the next interlude(I honestly keep forgetting to write about that - let's just say he's procrastinating, oui?), and Dorea will probably just look at him and say something along the lines of her not caring because he grew out of that behavior while Snape didn't, meaning that he had her respect while Snape didn't. It will be different because I like the idea of James actually dueling Voldemort to give Lily some time to escape more than him just taking Voldemort on wandlessly. *laughs* I'm trying really hard to incorporate my OCs in a way that isn't ramming them down on everyone, which is why I'm focusing mainly on one OC relationship at a time. Since Dante and Blaise are together (which was honestly a lot faster than I thought it would be 0-0 Might be because Dante moved to a different school for the second semester and the rest of high school so I have no idea how to write his relationships), it'll be Sierra and Neville who get together next. *smiles* The sixth and seventh books are mainly going to be Molly and Ginny bashing there because of how they treat Dorea. *jaw drops* THIS REPLY ALONE TOOK UP AROUND 1000 WORDS! HOLY CRAP MAN!**

**SilentFrenchNight: *jokingly* How 'bout we meet before you take me out to dinner, kay?**

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Count: 1,313**

***falls over* HOLY SHIT GUYS! HOLY *insert long stream of curse words here*! I know the main reason that you guys got so many reviews was because of the long wait in between updates, BUT STILL!**

**Review Goal:1,390**

**Mein leiblings, I know you are all awesome enough to hit this goal~! And those who know what mein leiblings means should check out my two Hetalia oneshots! One is a snapped!Canada and the other is a femCanada/Prussia story, totally cute and sad at the same time! Please tell me what you think of them?**

**So leave a review~!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**REVIEW THINGY IS RIGHT DOWN THERE!**


	35. Book 2: Chapter 12

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Again, guys, sorry for the late update! It's just that I got my Civics ISU a few days ago, I have a French ISU to work on as well, and we just got our Science ISUs too, and then there's my Math class, which is like, the **_**worst**_** class I've had because of 5-9 people. THAT'S ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CLASS! WHY ARE THE IDIOTS THAT NEVER SHUT UP NOT IN APPLIED MATH?! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAH! *tears out hair* To make matters worse, one of them, one of most talkative ones, TRIED to switch into Applied Math A MONTH INTO THE SEMESTER! THAT'S WAAAY too late to switch, SO NOW I'M STUCK WITH HIM! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! *continues tearing out hair* So sorry, guys, but now that it's Easter and I have some time off I'm working as quickly as I can to update!**

**And I have three obsessions to deal with - Hetalia, Harry Potter, and Ib. Those who know what Ib is, and have played it, would you **_**believe**_** that I got Promise of Reunion on the first try?**

**Because I was asked as to what Hammer Space is, here is the Law of Anime concerning Hammer Space:**

_**37. Law of Extra Dimensional Capacitance**_  
All anime females have an extra-dimensional storage space of variable volume somewhere on their person from which they can instantly retrieve any object at a moment's notice.  
First Corollary (The Hammer Rule) - The most common item stored is a heavy mallet, which can be used with unerring accuracy on any male who deserves it. Other common items include costumes/uniforms, power suits/armor, and large bazookas.

**Hammer Space is this storage, and I totally wish that I had access to Hammer Space! Do you guys know how useful it would be to have?!**

**Alright guys, there's a mistake from last chapter that I caught AFTER it was posted. At one part of the chapter I wrote **_"That Slytherin's monster was being forced to attack students and that Slytherin was a Parseltongue."_ **What I MEANT to say was **_"That Slytherin's moster was being forced to attack students, and that Slytherin was a _Parselmouth_."_ **I have no idea why I wrote Parseltongue, I might have intended to write "that Slytherin was able to speak Parseltongue" or been thinking that while I had been typing the sentence. That part just really bothered me because people using the incorrect terms is my pet peeve, my strongest one. For that mistake I sincerely apologize, guys, I honestly did not mean to write that.**

**Anyway, this chapter is likely going to be filled with Bill/Dorea and Charlie/Michaela fluff. Please enjoy~!**

**Review replies are at the bottom again! (I'm just putting this hear because someone said they thought I had skipped them last chapter)**

**Someone asked for me to explain the arrangement of the Circle, and first off, I'd like to say the basic layout changes every day, but who sits next to whom will remain the same.**

**Lily and James always sit on either side of Dorea, who is sitting on Bill's lap. Sirius always sits between James and Remus (since he was allowed to be in the Hall in his human form). Michaela always sits on Charlie's lap, next to her grandmother and next to Dan. Elront always sits next to Galandriel. Naomi always sits next to Dan and Luna, who sits between Naomi and Ginny. Ron is always near Lily, he always sits in between Susan and Hermione, who sits next to George, who is always next to Fred. Molly always sits next to Arthur, Fleur always sits at the end of the Circle, Madam Delacour as well as her husband and Gabrielle are always sitting near Fleur, Dante and Blaise will be sitting together from now on, Sierra is sitting next to Neville, Fabian and Gideon are always on either side of Harry, and the rest of the Circle (Cat, Moody, the Slytherins, the Hufflepuffs, and the Bulgarians) always sit in open spaces, ignoring that they may be sitting next to someone who may hate them. (ex, a Slytherin may be sitting next to Molly)**

_**Other Note: Just recently I got a review from someone who used the name use-to-be-fan, an anonymous review that stated to GET RID of my homosexual couples. Uh, I'm sorry, but does it look like I'm writing about them having sex? No? So I don't see what the problem is. Honestly, I've said it once and I'll say it again, this story is NOT being ruined by the homosexuality that I've put in it, it's becoming more REALISTIC. In the real world not everyone is straight; therefore there will be homosexual relationships in my story. Will I add in homophobics too? Probably, but they'll be bashed characters, since I don't tolerate homophobia. I honestly don't care if I lose a fan because they can't handle yaoi and yuri, and quite honestly this isn't even yaoi or yuri, it's technically shonen-ai and shoujo-ai. Yaoi and yuri have **_**lemons**_**, otherwise known as **_**smut**_**, in them. I'm not writing any smut, I'm keeping this rating teen. I may mention that certain couples are having sex, but that's about it. So yeah, first get the classifications right, second don't scream at me for having realistic couples in my story, because I won't tolerate it. That makes a grand total of... How many? 5 flames for my story so far? And 4 of them were on homosexual relationships in my story. Wow. Just wow, guys.**_

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Michaela was nearly snarling when she saw 2 of the seven people who had arrived in the Great Hall. Many of the students were whispering amongst themselves, wondering who these people were, but the Misfits all knew who 5 of them were. Standing in the doorway was Michaela's father, Dan's mother, Dante's mother, Sierra's mother, Cat's father, and Hermione's parents. Hermione was staring up at her parents in shock, she never imagined that they would ever be able to enter the castle, while the Misfits were hissing in rage at the appearance of Michaela's and Cat's fathers. The group of seven walked forward as the three strangers appeared behind them, in the doorway. Narcissa didn't miss the way that her husband's hand shot straight for his wand at the appearance of the three, which caused her eyes to narrow dangerously. What had he done to anger those three strangers? The tallest stepped forward as the seven adults turned around in confusion.

"The reason that you've all been brought here is because each of your children has a significant impact on the future of this world, and quite likely, without all of them, the world in our dimension would have fallen to the hands of Voldemort." he said. Michaela's father sneered and glared at the man.

"Why should I care what that _freak_ does? She should have been drowned the moment she was born." he said. It happened quite quickly, one minute he was standing just fine, the next Dorea was behind an unconscious blond, a bloodstained hockey stick in hand. Glaring down at the unconscious man, Dorea's grip on the hockey stick tightened.

"Don't you ever call my sister a freak again, you _bastard_." she snarled. "You're lucky she hasn't snapped and killed you already." With that, Dorea walked back to the Circle, made the hockey stick disappear with a flick of her wrist, and snuggled back up to Bill while sitting on the redhead's lap. His chest was so comfy... Dorea's eyes closed slightly as she buried her face into his soft shirt, she could probably take a nap on him and have the best sleep of her life...

Bill smiled and wrapped his arms around the snuggling Dorea. She was so cute, and very protective, she was just the perfect person. So sweet, innocent, dangerous, loving and protective all rolled into one person. Not to mention absolutely adorable. She was absolutely perfect in his eyes, there was nothing wrong about her. Didn't help that he was a massive weakness towards cute and adorable things, both of which Dorea was. Had he mentioned how cute and adorable she was? Because she was positively the most adorable person that he had ever met.

God he had fallen so hard for her.

After the Misfits' parents settled down, with Dan's mother, Dante's mother, and Sierra's mother all sitting in the Circle while Michaela's father was dragged over to the Dursleys by Cat's father, did Sinistra cough and look around.

"Well, would someone like to read?" she offered. Sierra's mother raised her hand.

"If you don't mind, I would." she said. Many males in the room were drooling over her because of her natural Veela aura, which made her already pale skin appear to be shining like moonlight, white her flaming red curls gave the impression of a brilliant fire. Sinistra nodded and levitated the book over to Sierra's mother, who opened it to the next chapter and began to read.

~CHAPTER TWELVE - THE POLYJUICE POTION~ she read, looking slightly confused as the Hall started grinning. Why would a Polyjuice Potion be needed? For the sake of the Grangers, who were sitting at the Staff Table, McGonagall quietly explained what a Polyjuice Potion did and the difficulty level that brewing it was at.

~**They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Dorea to wait and left him there, alone.~**

McGonagall winced.

"I really should have told you what was going on, shouldn't I have?" she asked. Dorea nodded slowly. McGonagall smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Lady Potter, I had assumed that you would have known by then that after being the first find the victims of two attacks meant that you would have understood why I had to take you to visit the Headmaster."

~**Dorea**** looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Dorea had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting.~**

All those who had seen the inside of Dumbledore's office cheered in agreement, his was most certainly the most interesting of all the professors' offices.

~**If she hadn't been scared out of her wits that she was about to be thrown out of school, she would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it, and possibly prod one or two of the more interesting objects curiously.~**

Dumbledore simply chuckled at that statement; Dorea was certainly very similar to himself, as well as similar to Tom Riddle. She was a good cross between the two of them, which suited her, as she was certainly more Gray than she was Light.

~**It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.~**

"Portraits don't sleep..." Bill said uncertainly. Dorea simply pouted.

"It's how they get information so that they can gossip. They must not have much to do, not being able to leave the actual portrait world itself to interact with us. I wonder what the world of paintings would be like..." Dorea wondered, looking at the ceiling wistfully.

**(A/N: Anyone who's played Ib before agrees with me on this - IT IS A TOTAL NIGHTMARE, DOREA! DON'T GO THERE! Your rose is your life, and the paintings are alive and like to play Loves Me, Loves Me Not...)**

~**There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.**

**Dorea hesitated.~**

Susan couldn't help but sigh.

"What with how everyone was acting, I'm not surprised by your hesitation. I mean, honestly, for all you knew you had a piece of Voldemort in you that was making you attack the muggleborns." she said. Dorea and Ginny both suppressed winces, Dorea _had_ had a piece of Voldemort within her, and Ginny _was_ forced by Voldemort to attack the muggleborns. Susan was more accurate with that statement than she would think.

~**She cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn't hurt if she took the hat down and tried it on again? Just to see... Just to make sure it had put her in the right House.~**

Dumbledore could be seen glaring at the students in the Hall. Dorea could have unknowing asked to be resorted, and what a mess that would have caused! If Dorea had been resorted into Slytherin, who knew what damage the students would have done to her because of that...

~**She walked quietly around the desk, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto her head. It was much too large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time she'd put it on.**

**Dorea stared at the black inside of the hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in her ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Dorea Potter?"~**

Many raised their eyebrows. Hat related humour?

~**"Er, yes," Dorea muttered. "Er - sorry to bother you - I wanted to ask -"**

**"You've been wondering whether I put you in the right House," said the hat smartly. "Yes... You were particularly hard to place, the hardest in many years... But I stand by what I said," - Dorea's heart leapt - "You would have very done well in Slytherin -"~**

"You're a true Snake in Lion's skin, and that's saying something." Friar John commented, smiling at Dorea. "Both Lord Godric and Lord Salazar would have been extremely proud to meet you." Dorea smiled shyly at the compliment. Lady Helena simply smiled.

"As would the other two Founders. You truly represent the best of all the four attributes of the Houses, Dorea. Brave, noble, daring, kind, forgiving, loyal, wise beyond your years, intelligent, cunning, resourceful, and very sly. All excellent attributes to have along, but together makes a beautiful combination." she added in, causing Dorea to blush as Bill whispered sweet nothings in her ear, about how she was his little Lion-Snake, how she was perfect just the way she was, and how he wouldn't want her any other way. Dorea smiled, twisted in her seat, and pecked Bill's lips in a short, sweet kiss before snuggling up to his chest. Her Bill. Hers.

~**Dorea****'s stomach plummeted. She grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in her hand, grubby and faded. Dorea pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick.**

**"You're wrong," she said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move.**

**Dorea backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind her made her wheel around.~**

"What is it?" Michaela asked in confusion. It was likely a magical creature of some sort, but what kind was it was the question?

~**Sh****e wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.~**

The three High Elves gasped, there was only one magical bird that could fit that description, especially on their burning days. Phoenixes. Galandriel turned to Dumbledore in shock.

"Can we see him?" she asked in awe. Dumbledore chuckled and let out a high pitched whistle, one that resounded through the Hall and into the school. The whistle was responded to with a high, shrill yet musical sound as Fawkes flamed into the Great Hall, causing everyone who knew anything about phoenixes to gasp in shock and those who didn't to gasp in awe and wonder. Fawkes flew over to Dumbledore, nibbled his ear for a moment, before flying over the Dorea, landing on the 15 year old's shoulder. Dorea smiled and pet Fawkes' head as he nuzzled it against the top of her head. Dumbledore smiled knowingly as he watched this. Unknown to most, a phoenix didn't bond with a person based on whether they used Light or Dark magic, but rather on how pure their heart and soul was. Sure, Dorea could do some horrible things, but in the end she did it for good reasons, such as protecting her friends and family from emotion, physical, or mental attacks.

"It appears Fawkes wishes to bond with you once the bond he has with myself is broken, Dorea." he chuckled, causing many to gasp at the realization, with Lucius staring at Dorea with obvious lust and Malfoy looking at her with a mixture of both lust and love. Dorea kissed the top of Fawkes' head and smiled.

"I'd rather that the bond he has with you never breaks, but I honestly wouldn't mind bonding with him. He's saved my life before, so I think that bonding with him would be quite the pleasant experience." she said happily. Bill chuckled and ran his fingers through Dorea's hair, smiling as she leaned into his touch. Fawkes watched as Lady of the Gray's Mate primped her, with the Lady of Gray leaning into his gentle touch. The Lady had certainly found a wonderful mate, that was something he could guarantee. He could sense the love between the two of them was stronger than any magic he had felt in a long time, the love between the two of them was stronger than any enchantment that Merlin and his wife, Morgana, could ever cast together. That meant that, once the two confirmed their Mating, they would likely be the two strongest Magicals in all of history.

Sierra's mother continued reading.

~**Dorea stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Dorea thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Dorea watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. Dorea was just thinking that all she needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while she was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.~**

Those who didn't recognize Fawkes from flashing in gasped, even the muggleborns and muggles had heard legend of phoenixes. Immortal birds that, when a mortal bird of their size would die, they burst into flames and are reborn from the ashes, a never ending life.

~**Dorea yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. She looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere, but she couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.**

**The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre.~**

"More people were attacked, of course he was sombre!" Sirius grumbled under his breath.

~**"Professor," Dorea gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"~**

"To this day I still wonder how you knew Fawkes was male, Dorea." Dumbledore chuckled. Dorea just shrugged as Fawkes began to peck at her hair, cleaning it the way a mother bird would clean her young.

**~To Dorea's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.**

**"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."**

**He chuckled at the stunned look on Dorea's face.~**

Something that the elderly man repeated, much to Dorea's annoyance.

~**"Fawkes is a phoenix, Dorea. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him..."**

**Dorea looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes.~**

Michaela couldn't help but pout.

"You got to see a phoenix being reborn the first time you see one, you are so lucky!" she grumbled, leaning her head on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie nodded in agreement and held Michaela close to him, feeling his heart pounding harder and harder the more close contact he had with the half High Elf. She was just what he wanted in a girl, and had begun to move on from her past, if the lack of scabs on her wrists were any indicator.

~**It was quite as ugly as the old one.**

**"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."~**

Dorea smiled and pet Fawkes' head in thanks.

"Thank Merlin for that, eh, Fawkes?" she asked, kissing the phoenixes' head. Fawkes lifted his head a chirped out happily, nuzzling his head into Dorea's messy hair once again.

~**In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Dorea had forgotten what she was there for, but it all came back to her as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Dorea with his penetrating, light-blue stare.**

**Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.~**

Some people made faces.

"Ew." Naomi muttered, making a face at the idea of seeing that.

~**"It wasn' Dorea, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter her seconds before that kid was found, she never had time, sir -"**

**Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.~**

Dorea and Dumbledore both chuckled at the memory, Dorea had been plucking feathers out of her hair while talking to Dumbledore once Hagrid had left.

~**"- it can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to -"**

**"Hagrid, I -"**

**"- yeh've got the wrong girl, sir, I know Dorea never -"**

**"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Dorea attacked those people."~**

"There was no evidence suggesting such a thing, and it's not in her nature to attack innocent people." Dumbledore explained. Umbridge scowled, so that Elf bitch's father didn't count as innocent?

~**"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.**

**"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Dorea repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk and Dorea plucked some out of her hair.~**

Many chuckled at the idea of Dorea plucking feathers out of her hair. It was actually very entertaining to imagine that happening. Especially when the one feather just refused to unattach itself from the one cowlick...

~**"No, Dorea, I truly don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was sombre again. "But I still want to talk to you."**

**Dorea waited nervously while Dumbledore considered her, the tips of his long fingers together.**

**"I must ask you, Dorea, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."~**

"Well, I can hear voices that no one else can, and considering that I always hear them right before someone gets attacked, I'm kinda worried about my sanity. Oh, and not to mention that my friends and I are brewing an illegal Polyjuice Potion in Myrtle's bathroom so that we can investigate someone we suspect, can you keep that quiet for me?" Dorea asked innocently. People began to laugh as they realized what she was getting as - that she couldn't have told him anything because of how insane she would sound.

~**Dorea didn't know what to say. She thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then she thought of the disembodied voice she had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." She thought, too, about what everyone was saying about her, and her growing dread and comfort that she was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin…~**

"Well that last one is solved, the rest I still wouldn't tell about." Dorea laughed, happy to have gotten her heritage out of the way. Only 6 more days before she can be open about being Lady Slytherin without having to worry about Voldemort challenging her for the right as head of the Slytherin House...

~**"No," said Dorea finally. "There isn't anything, Professor..."**

**The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most.~**

"Of course, a ghost had been petrified. Everyone was terrified of what could have possibly done that." Susan said reasonably. Dorea sighed.

"But I had lost a good friend and a trusted pillar in my life..." she muttered. Bill smiled sadly at Dorea and kissed her cheek, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.

"But now you won't have to worry about that, nothing will ever happen to any of us, I promise." he whispered, kissing Dorea just below her ear. Dorea smiled, turned slightly and nuzzled her face into Bill's neck, he always knew just what to say to calm her down and to cheer her up.

~**What could possibly do that to a ghost? People asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.**

**"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Dorea and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday **_**this**_** is going to be."~**

"Ah, sarcasm at its finest." Sierra said, wiping an imaginary tear from her cheek.

~**Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too.**

**But Dorea was glad that most people were leaving. She was tired of people skirting around her in the corridors, as though she was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as she passed.**

**Fred and George, however, found the idea of all this to be very funny.~**

"What?" Molly began to growl. Dorea sent to woman a glare, what had happened to the woman just last week? The woman who had been tolerant and understanding? Guess hearing about her child in danger brought out the real Molly.

~**They went out of their way to march ahead of Dorea down the corridors, shouting,** **"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil witch coming through…"~**

The Marauders and Prewitt Twins laughed at the antics of Gred and Forge Weasley while Arthur, Bill, and Charlie all grinned and Molly scowled. In her opinion, this wasn't something to be making fun of!

~**Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior, and Dorea could see why. While it was making her feel better that Fred and George seemed to believe the idea of her being the one behind the attacks to be quite ludicrous, they weren't exactly being sensitive towards the friends of those who had already been attacked.~**

Molly blinked in surprise, she hadn't thought that they were doing that because of the reason that Dorea gave. That was actually rather mature of them...

~**"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.**

**"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Dorea's in a hurry."**

**"Yeah, she's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with her fanged servant," said George, chortling.~**

Dorea honestly sighed here.

"If only I found the Chamber the year before, none of these attacks would have happened..." she muttered under her breath so that Bill wouldn't hear her. She knew that she couldn't help that she had found the Chamber when she did, but she still felt bad over the fact that she could have actually done something to prevent these attacks from happening before they ever did.

~**Ginny didn't find it amusing either.**

**"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Dorea loudly who she was planning to attack next, to which Dorea responded just as loudly with a "Whoever the hell pisses me off the most," or when George pretended to ward Dorea off with a large clove of garlic when they met.~**

Everyone laughed at Dorea's comment, that was definitely her, through and through. Michaela couldn't help but grin. Intelligently narky, dry, and incredibly sarcastic. That was Dorea's sense of humour.

~**But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.**

**"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."~**

"Well, that is a reasonable explanation, but wrong all the same." Dorea said. Ron sighed and nodded.

"But you have to admit, all the evidence was pointing at him!" he said. Dorea nodded in agreement.

"At that time, yes, the profile did, indeed, fit Malfoy, but further investigation proved his innocence." she said simply. Many stared at Dorea in shock over how professionally she worded that sentence, while many, like Madam Bones, Kingsley, Tonks, and Moody, all shared knowing smirks. She would be a hell of an Auror, that was for sure. Paperwork would be easy for her to do.

**~"Not for long," said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."~**

"And we did." Hermione said smugly. "Just not the truth we were expecting."

~**At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Dorea found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that she, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower,~**

"That was so much fun! We all sorta bunked in the boys' dormitories because there were so few people, Hermione and I were sleeping on the floor with some mattresses that Fred and George managed to convince some House Elves to bring up, Ginny was sleeping in the first year's dorms, meanwhile Fred and George had spread everything out over their dormitory so they could grab anything at a moment's notice." Dorea said wistfully, then grinned at the Twins. "Remember all the prank item blueprints we made that holiday? Half of your original variety was made because of the lack of people in the dorm that Christmas." she teased. Molly scowled at the thought of Dorea having helped her sons with their unsuccessful ideals, while Arthur smiled at Dorea gratefully. Fred and George had their hearts set on owning a prank shop, and with their creativity and ideas they could easily run Zonko's out of business.

~**which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice duelling in private. Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behavior, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.~**

"The support was wonderful to have, but quite honestly, there wasn't much that you could have done." Flitwick said. Percy shrugged.

"Support can be the best tool people need to succeed." he said honestly. Dorea smiled and took note of that - she was definitely quoting that some time in her life, probably when Molly criticizes Fred and George on their dream job - _again_.

~**Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Dorea and Ron, the only ones sleeping in the dormitory, were woken very early by Hermione, who burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both.**

**"Wake up," she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window.**

**"Hermione - where've you been while we were sleeping -" said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.**

**"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present. "I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the potion. It's ready."**

**Dorea sat up, suddenly wide awake.~**

Everyone snickered at that statement. Only the prospect of further investigation could wake Dorea up right away.

~**"Are you sure?"**

**"Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so that she could sit down on the end of Ron's four-poster. "If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight."**

**At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak.**

**"Hello," said Dorea happily as she landed on his make-shift. "Are you speaking to me again?"**

**She nibbled her ear in an affectionate sort of way,~**

As Hedwig did again from Bill's shoulder, more than a little annoyed at Fawkes for taking her spot on her Mistress' shoulder.

~**which was a far better present than the one that she had brought her, which turned out to be from the Dursleys. They had sent Dorea a toothpick and a note telling her to find out whether she'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too.~**

"No need to worry about that anymore, you're coming with me to Egypt this summer." Bill muttered, kissing Dorea's neck once more. Dorea smiled and leaned into her boyfriend's touch.

"Sounds lovely, can't wait to see your place." she whispered back, kissing his cheek softly.

**~The rest of Dorea's Christmas presents were far more satisfactory.~**

Everyone nodded, just as it should be.

~**Hagrid had sent her a large tin of treacle fudge, which Dorea decided to soften by the fire before eating;~**

"Good idea, make it softer so it's easier to chew." Charlie nodded. Doera shrugged.

"It's really tasty, I think he uses recipes that suit him just fine is the thing. Most of his food actually tastes really good, it's just the texture is more suited for someone with a stronger jaw and denser bones than normal people have." she pointed out. Hagrid blushed under the praise that Dorea was sending his way, it was true, because of his mum, normal food was too tender for him to eat all the time, so he edited some recipes and just forgot to change them back to normal when people came over.

~**Ron had given her a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favourite Quidditch team, and Hermione had bought her a luxury eagle-feather opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a large plum cake. She read her card with a fresh surge of guilt, thinking about Mr. Weasley's car (which hadn't been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow), and about of rule-breaking she and Ron were planning next.~**

"Dorea, I didn't mean to make you feel -" Molly was cut off by Lily.

"So you'd rather your own son feel guilty over something that was a mistake than make my daughter feel guilty for the same mistake! Merlin, when I thought that you couldn't get any worse with your favouritism!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air. Molly sent Lily a dark glare that the latter returned, full force.

"Are you suggesting I play favourites?" she asked. It was time for Susan to jump in.

"She's not suggesting it, she's implying it." she snarled, much to Lily's joy and Molly's shock. "You're favouring someone who's not even related to you

~**Dorea happily opened the package from the stranger who signed his (she was assuming the person was male) letters as B. Her gift from him was a stunning faun charm to match the stag one that she had gotten for her birthday the just the past summer, as well as several small ornaments that she would definitely put up around her area in the dorm. According to the letter that came from B, the ornaments were charmed to by Unbreakable, and the charm itself would detect jinxes and allow her to know whether an object was jinxed or not, to match the stag charm that detected curses from her birthday. Dorea immidiately slipped the charm onto her bracelet and smile, three charms glinted beautifully in the early morning sunlight.~**

Hermione and McGonagall looked shocked. That was why Dorea had been confident that the Firebolt hadn't been jinxed or cursed? Because her bracelet didn't detect any? Considering that the gifts were from a Curse Breaker, which was a step up from a Warder, those charms would definitely get the job done.

~**No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.~**

Even Percy joined in the sniggering this time around, though Molly looked positively sour. What was wrong with her twin boys that made them act this way?

~**Dorea didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about her new sweater from the Slytherin table. With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours' time.**

**Dorea and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the hall to finalize their plans for the evening.~**

"I thought you don't eat much." Lily said with raised eyebrows. Dorea shrugged.

"By Christmas time I'm able to eat like a normal human being." she said, ignoring the jealous looks that she was getting from girl from years 3-7. It was a commonly known fact that the more powerful a witch or wizard was, the more food they can eat because most of it would be transferred into either physical or magical energy. The rest, which was close to 10%, would be stored like a muggle would store food.

~**"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're Malfoy's best friends,****he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him. I've got it all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Dorea's and Ron's stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet."~**

Moody nodded with a smirk, Hermione had planned this out very well. She would make an excellent Slytherin or Ravenclaw.

~**Dorea and Ron looked incredulously at each other.**

**"Hermione, I don't think -"**

**"That could go seriously wrong -"**

**But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.~**

Many burst out laughing at the mental image of Hermione dressed as McGonagall, it was very amusing to imagine her dressed in emerald robes, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, and a her mouth pressed into a thin line. Sadly, it was also very easy to imagine this as well.

~**"The potion will be useless without Crabbe's and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"**

**"Oh, all right, all right," said Dorea. "But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?"**

**"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Duelling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."~**

All the Slytherins snorted, they knew that wouldn't fool anyone.

~**When Hermione had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Dorea with a doom-laden expression.**

**"Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?" he asked. Dorea just scowled.**

**"I don't get why **_**I**_** have to transform into Goyle while **_**she**_** gets to transform into another girl." she said angrily. Ron seemed to think about the idea of transforming into the opposite gender for a minute before paling and turning away. Obviously he didn't like it as much as Dorea didn't like it.~**

Mr. and Mrs. Granger scowled. That wasn't very fair of their daughter to do, they had been told it had been her idea to use the Polyjuice Potion; therefore _she_ should be the one to transform into the opposite gender. That was only fair.

~**But to Dorea's and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said. They lurked in the deserted entrance hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle. Dorea had perched the chocolate cakes on the end of the banisters. When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Dorea and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armour next to the front door.~**

All those in Slytherin House and actually acted like Slytherins shook their heads. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle never should have been in Slytherin. They should have been sorted into Gryffindor for Malfoy and Hufflepuff for the two lackeys.

~**"How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them.**

**Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths.~**

"Maybe everyone should be resorted during their 5th year, that way if someone was sorted into a House that didn't suit them they would be in a House where they feel comfortable and where they fit in. It would also destroy House prejudice, since someone from Gryffindor could be sorted into Slytherin from how they've changed." Luna suggested. Dumbledore looked at Luna in shock before he nodded.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Miss Lovegood, but perhaps they should be nominated by the rest of their House for a resorting first." he suggested. Everyone nodded in approval at Luna's idea, they could understand the reasoning she put behind that.

Luna hid her sly smirk with practiced ease. Like Dorea, the Sorting Hat had said she would do very well in Slytherin House. Unlike Dorea, she chose to be Sorted into Ravenclaw because it was where intelligence was appreciated over daring deeds. She knew just who she would nominate to resort - Cho Chang.

Time to get rid of her bullies, one by one.

~**For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backward onto the floor.~**

All the Slytherins except for Malfoy, Parkinson, and the two baboons themselves grimaced. Maybe they should nominate those four to be resorted, they definitely didn't belong in Slytherin...

~**By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the hall. Once they were safely stowed among the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's fore head and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs. They also stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe- and Goyle-size feet.~**

All the aurors and ex-auror in the room nodded in agreement to the idea. Dorea blushed as Ron gave her the credit for the idea, causing Bill to smile and kiss her cheek. Dorea couldn't help the silly grin that grew on her face, her wonderful, wonderful boyfriend. All hers.

Fleur was looking at the two with insane jealousy. She had no idea what that light during the Samhain Ball was, but everyone thought it was just their magic recognizing each other. That in itself meant that the two were practically inseparable now.

~**Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

**They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Dorea and Ron knocked softly on the door.**

**"Hermione?"**

**They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny faced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion.~**

Snape scowled while Lily squealed with happiness. Hermione had brewed it correctly.

~**Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.**

**"Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly.**

**Dorea showed her Goyle's hair.**

**"Good. And I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle." At this Dorea scowled.**

**"Remind me as to why I'm the only one of us transforming into someone of the opposite gender again." she said, receiving no response from either Ron or Hermione.~**

Many glared at Hermione for this, she really should have been the one to change genders. It was her idea, after all.

~**The three of them then stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.~**

Lily began to squirm in her seat, doing a little dance. It was perfect! On their first time brewing it! She couldn't believe it!

~**"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should... Oonce we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."**

**"Now what?" Ron whispered.**

**"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs."**

**Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.**

**The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.~**

Suddenly Lily and Moody scowled while Snape smirked.

"Something isn't right, it shouldn't hiss." Lily said. Hermione winced and refused to look at anyone as Myrtle cackled, Dorea giggled, and Ron chuckled.

"Ooh, something wasn't right, that's for sure." Myrtle sang evilly, causing many to raise their eyebrows. What had gone wrong?

~**"Urgh - essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."**

**"Add yours, then," said Hermione.**

**Dorea dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki colour of a booger, Crabbe's a dark, murky brown.~**

"Those are right, then. No mention of hissing." Lily said, nodding. Tonks couldn't help but smirk.

"You do realize that those potions colours reveal the nature of your souls, right?" she asked, causing everyone except Crabbe and Goyle to burst into insane laughter.

Several minutes later, after everyone had calmed down, Sierra's mother continued reading.

~**"Hang on," said Dorea as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses.**

**"We'd better not all drink them in here... Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle - again, which I find completely unfair - we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie."~**

Everyone nodded. Again, Dorea pointed out the unfairness of the situation, and had an excellent side point to it. None of them would fit in on bathroom stall, especially if they can barely squeeze in while in their normal bodies.

~**"Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate stalls."**

**Careful not to spill a drop of her Polyjuice Potion, Dorea slipped into the middle stall. She quickly changed before drinking the potion, seeing as how she wanted to see none of Goyle's body afterwards. She thought for a moment before taking off her wristwatch and shoes as well, she didn't want to be in pain after drinking the potion because they were too tight.~**

"Excellent thinking, girl." Moody nodded in approval. She thought it through before she took the potion, not many people did that.

**~"Ready?" she called.**

**"Ready," came Ron's and Hermione's voices.**

**"One - two - three -"**

**Pinching his nose, Dorea drank the potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage.~**

Everyone wrinkled their nose at the idea. Not many wanted to drink that potion if it tasted like that - most potions didn't taste pleasant, but that was just unnecessarily unpleasant.

~**Immediately, her insides started writhing as though she'd just swallowed live snakes - doubled up, she wondered whether she was going to be sick - then a burning sensation spread rapidly from her stomach to the very ends of her fingers and toes - next, bringing her gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over her body bubbled like hot wax - and before her eyes, her hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened, the knuckles were bulging like bolts - her shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on her forehead told her that hair was creeping down toward her eyebrows - she knew if she had been wearing her original robes that her robes would have ripped as her chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops - her feet would have been in agony in shoes four sizes too small.~**

Everyone winced, Ron the most. He hadn't thought to change before taking the potion, and Dorea's description fit how he felt perfectly.

~**As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Dorea lay facedown on the stone-cold floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. With difficulty, she stood up and regained her balance. So this was what it felt like, being Goyle. Her large hand trembling, she scooped up her old robes, which were hanging around on the floor around her ankles and laced up Goyle's boat like shoes.~**

No one could _not_ snicker at that description.

~**She reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles, low on her forehead. Then she realized that her glasses were clouding her eyes because Goyle obviously didn't need them - she took them off and called, "Are you two okay?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from her mouth.~**

"It was really weird hearing that from where you were moments before." Ron pointed out. Dorea shuddered.

"Even weirder hearing it coming from my mouth." she said. Ron and Hermione both nodded, that definitely would have been weirder.

~**"Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from her right.**

**Dorea unlocked her door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at her out of dull, deep set eyes. Dorea scratched her ear. So did Goyle.**

**Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms.**

**"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable. "~**

"Just wait until Third year... And last year, now that I think about it." Doea said, thinking back to the Gillyweed and the lake. God that had been horrible...

~**"We'd better get going," said Dorea, loosening the watch that she planned on putting back around her wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow..."**

**Ron, who had been gazing at Dorea, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking."~**

Many laughed at the statement, while others laughed at the idea of seeing that. Never in a million years would they be able to see that!

~**He banged on Hermione's door.**

**"C'mon, we need to go -"**

**A high-pitched voice answered him.**

**"I - I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."**

**"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly,~**

"OI!" Millicent screamed as Michaela threw a pillow in Ron's face.

"It's not her fault, it's her genetics!" she growled. Ron pulled the pillow down and looked directly at Millicent.

"I am so sorry for saying that." he said honestly. Millicent looked back down at her lap as a seventh year Slytherin, her cousin, pat her back. It wasn't her fault, it never had been... In hag standards she was drop dead gorgeous...

~**no one's going to know it's you -"**

**"No - really - I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time!"**

**Dorea looked at Ron, bewildered.**

**"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."~**

Much more laughter filled the Hall as people began to appreciate Ron's bluntness. As long as it wasn't directed towards them it was really funny.

~**"Hermione, are you okay?" said Dorea through the door.**

**"Fine - I'm fine - go on -"**

**Dorea looked at her watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.**

**"We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said.**

**Dorea and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off.**

**"Don't swing your arms like that," Dorea muttered to Ron.~**

Moody couldn't help but grin. He had been right, Dorea would be an excellent Auror - or a Hit-Witch, either one.

**"Eh?"**

**"Crabbe holds them sort of stiff..."~**

Moody's grin grew. Intelligent, that one.

Dorea sighed as she saw the awed expressions. She didn't want to choose a career because everyone else expected her to follow into it, she wanted to make her choice based off of what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

~**"How's this?"**

**"Yeah, that's better..."**

**They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.**

**"Any ideas?" muttered Dorea.**

**"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long, curly hair emerged from the entrance. Judging by the badge pinned to her chest, she was a prefect.~**

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. Only the three of them had been staying that Christmas, he had no idea who that could have been.

~**"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."**

**"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "**_**Our**_** common room? I'm a Ravenclaw."~**

Percy narrowed his eyes.

"Prefects are told the area that the other House Common rooms are in case of an emergency. If she's a prefect then she should have told you." he said. For some reason, he didn't feel all that stronglytowards Penelope as he once did... Maybe it was because he had changed since then?

He really didn't want to face the idea that she may have slipped him a Love Potion.

**~She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.**

**Dorea and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe's and Goyle's huge feet hit the floor, feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped.**

**The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.**

**"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!"**

**The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy.~**

Percy flushed as he remembered that night, Merlin that had been Ron and Dorea that he had run into...

~**"What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.**

**Percy looked affronted.**

**"That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?"**

**"Wh - oh, yeah," said Ron as he remembered the effects of the Potion.~**

"The surprise of seeing Percy in the dungeons had made me forget for a moment, alright?" Ron shouted through a vibrant blush. Susan giggled and rested her head on his shoulder, much to Molly's annoyance and Ron's pleasure.

~**"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."**

**"You are," Ron pointed out.**

**"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "Am a prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."~**

Everyone who knew about the Double Attack on Hermione and Clearwater snorted. That didn't stop the monster then.

**A voice suddenly echoed behind Dorea and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first, and most likely last, time in her life, Dorea was pleased to see him.~**

Malfoy scowled. _He could change, he could change, he could change... He could still win over Dorea's heart..._

~**"There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I want to show you something really funny."**

**Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy.**

**"And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.**

**Percy looked outraged.**

**"You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"~**

"No one does." Astoria supplied, causing many to snort and nod in agreement. Narcissa sighed. Her son was more and more arrogant than his father every passing day...

~**Malfoy sneered and motioned for Dorea and Ron to follow him. Dorea almost said something apologetic to Percy but caught herself just in time.**

**She and Ron hurried after Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley -"**

**"Percy," Ron corrected him automatically, most likely because Percy was his brother.~**

Ron nodded in agreement, that had been exactly why he had corrected , on the other hand, was scowling.

"You're both lucky he didn't pay any attention to that!" she said. Nott snorted quietly and leaned in to whisper to Ginny:

"No one pays attention to those idiots."

He smirked happily as Ginny fell over laughing at what he said. Michael Corner's glare on the Slytherin's back intensified - too bad he didn't realize that the two were quickly becoming close friends, despite his belief on them getting together.

~**"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed."**

**Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.**

**"What's the new password again?" he said to Dorea.**

**"Er -" said Dorea.**

**"Oh, yeah -pure-blood!" said Malfoy,~**

"Why was it that again?" Daphne asked curiously. Blaise shrugged.

"I don't know, all I know is that we got a message the week before holiday that it had been changed. No one knows who changed it or how, only that it had been changed." he said. Dorea and Ginny exchanged nervous glances - was it possible for Tom Riddle, in his diary-form, to have changed the passwords?

It was only a theory, but a good one, since Riddle was technically Slytherin's current Heir.

~**not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Malfoy marched through it, and Dorea and Ron followed him.**

**The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and a few Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.~**

"It's regal and proper, but incredibly comfortable and welcoming at the same time." Dorea said, causing all the Slytherins to smile at her. Sure, their Common Room wasn't as cozy as the Gryffindor one was, but to hear Dorea Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell-Black compliment it the way she just did was very reassuring to them that it was perfect in its own way.

~**"Wait here," said Malfoy to Dorea and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it my father's just sent it to me -"**

**Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Dorea and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home.**

**Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.**

**"That'll give you a laugh," he said.**

**Dorea saw Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Dorea.**

**It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:**

_**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**_

_**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.**_

_**Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation.**_

_**"Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."**_

"Now that is completely barbaric, what kind of respectable man would want to get rid of laws that would prevent hunting human beings like animals?" Sierra said loudly, causing Lucius to stare at her in shock, Narcissa to chuckle, and Fudge to pale. Oh Merlin, that was definitely something a Death Eater would recommend... If not a Death Eater, then a supporter of Voldemort...

~_**Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them**_**.~**

Many chuckled at the idea of someone setting a ghoul on a reporter. The reporter's face would be priceless - more so if it were Rita Skiter.

~**"Well?" said Malfoy impatiently as Dorea handed the clipping back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"**

**"Ha, ha," said Dorea bleakly, not that Malfoy noticed.**

**"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them," said Malfoy scornfully. "You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave."~**

James and Sirius both snickered while Narcissa huffed.

"Oh hush, you two. Perfect examples of Gray Purebloods right here." she said, pointing at them. Hermione looked at the woman curiously.

"What's the difference between being Light and Gray?" she asked. Remus was the one to answer.

"To be Light means to not fight back with equal strength, whereas being Gray means to fight back equally. They send a Killing Curse or Cruciatus at you, you send an equally lethal curse back. Light means to fight with non-lethal spells, which quite honestly doesn't work nearly as effeciently. Actually, if I were to peg the three of you," he looked at the Trio. "I'd definitely say you three are all Gray over Light. You understand you have to do what you have to do to keep a fight to the death even, but you won't go using illegal curses as though they're Flipendoes." Most of the Hall nodded, to be Light was to be ridiculously passive and to be Dark was to be ridiculously aggressive. Gray was the safest way to live.

~**Ron's - or rather, Crabbe's - face was contorted with fury.**

**"What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.**

**"Stomach-ache," Ron grunted.~**

Blaise nodded.

"Crabbe gets angry when he gets stomach aches, so he'll believe that excuse." he supplied, smirking at Ron.

~**"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully.~**

"Quite frankly, all the parents had a right to know what was happening at the school. The best thing that could have been done is to have the students sent home, or in the case of muggleborns to a friend's house and be homeschooled while the school is searched for the monster." Madam Bones suggested. Dumbledore sighed.

"I knew that the one attacking the students was most likely using one of the students to attack, meaning that sending the students away only to call them back wouldn't do anything. And, as it turned out, I was correct in the end." he explained. Madam Bones nodded, that made quite a bit of sense, more so than anything else people had theorized.

~**"I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never have let slime like that Creevey in."~**

"Lord Salazar was the one to suggest that we keep the school open all months of the year for muggleborn students who wished to remain at the school. The tradition of that happening was shut down several centuries after the Founders passed on." Baron Williams provided. Dorea had a sad look on her face.

"If that tradition hadn't been shut down, then maybe Voldemort wouldn't have become the man that he is today." she said. Dumbledore and the ghosts all nodded in agreement, knowing why Voldemort took out his rage against muggles the way that he did. He was abused by them as a child and didn't want to feel weak to them any longer.

~**Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: "Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?"'~**

"I didn't sound like that!" Colin screamed. Dorea scowled.

"The photo one was accurate, the autograph one was off, but the shoes one was just plain cruel." she growled. Bill smiled and nuzzled Dorea's neck, even if she wasn't friends with a person she would never stand to the side and just let them be bullied.

~**He dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron.**

**"What's the matter with you two?"**

**Far too late, Dorea and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake.~**

Dorea shook her head in shame.

"An embarrassment to my House, they are." she muttered just loud enough for her parents, Sirius, Remus, Michaela, Charlie and Bill to hear her. They were the only ones that Dorea could count on with the information that she was Lady Slytherin at current moment, since Michaela and Charlie had been the ones that had asked Dorea about the Slytherin House after she had claimed the title of Lady Slytherin. Those two in incredibly smart, and Dorea had no doubt in her mind that if Michaela were to attend Hogwarts that she would either be in Slytherin or in Ravenclaw.

~**"Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend," said Malfoy slowly. "She's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or she wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood. And people think she's Slytherin's heir!"~**

All those who knew of Dorea being Lady Slytherin disguised their laughter with coughing fits, it would be no good to let the secret slip when Voldemort could still challenge her to the right of the title of Head of Slytherin.

~**Dorea and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him - but then:**

**"I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy petulantly. "I could help them."~**

Most of the Hall growled while Dumbledore frowned at the boy. Perhaps he could be saved, but with his attitude he was falling more and more into his father's footsteps.

~**Ron's jaw dropped so that Crabbe looked even more clueless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Dorea, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all..."**

**"You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing - last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time... I hope it's Granger," he said with relish.~**

Everyone snarled at that statement, George the most. How _dare_ he! _How __**dare**__ he! Want Hermione dead, __**did**__ he? Ought to strangle the ferret himself..._

~**Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fists. Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Ron punched Malfoy, Dorea shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"**

**"Oh, yeah... Whoever it was was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban."~**

"Or they framed an innocent." Dorea said loudly, causing many to look confused. Who was it? Who was framed?

~**"Azkaban?" said Dorea, puzzled.**

**"Azkaban - the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards."~**

Many laughed, but only because it was true. Those two were the worst in the year, barely scraping by thanks to the help that Snape gave them with their work.

~**He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?"~**

"Really?" Ginny asked with raised eyebrows. "Here I thought the money Malfoy Sr. 'donates' prevents that from happening." she said. Kingsley grinned.

"Madam Bones and Scrimgeour are not as easily fooled as the Minister is." he explained. "Though Fudge did have a small say in the raid, it was only to prevent us from going farther than what was clear."

~**Dorea tried to force Goyle's dull face into a look of concern.**

**"Yeah..." said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor -"~**

"So _that's_ where you heard that from!" Arthur said in amazement. "I told Scrimgeour that my son overheard Draco Malfoy talking to his friends and mentioning it, but Fudge stopped us from searching for it." Here, Fudge began to look nervous at the glares sent his way. Dorea tutted.

"Interfering with an investigation, Minister. That's very illegal." she mock-scolded. Many snickered at the expression on Fudge's face. If it ever got out as to what happened while he was Minister, he was doomed. Not just out of a job, but likely in Azkaban, too.

~**"Ho!" said Ron.**

**Malfoy looked at him. So did Dorea.**

**Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red.~**

"Ding dong, the clock's struck twelve~!" Luna sang happily. Dorea looked at her in amazement.

"Cinderella reference?" she asked. Luna nodded happily. Dorea smiled. "You don't hear many wizarding children mentioning muggle fairy tales." she said. Luna just smiled.

"My mum decided to read me muggle and magical fairy tales, deciding it would be better to broaden my mind while I was still young." she said. Ron, however, looked confused.

"Cinderella?" he asked. Dorea shrugged.

"According to the traditional story, not the Disney version, her name was Ella, but because she was forced to work as a servant for her step-mother and step-sisters after her father died, she was always covered in cinders. Thus, her step-sisters named her Cinderella." she explained. All the wizarding raised children "Oooh"ed and nodded, that certainly made a lot of sense.

~**His nose was also slowly lengthening - their hour was up, Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving Dorea, she must be, too.**

**They both jumped to their feet.**

**"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything.**

**Dorea could feel her feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up her robes as she shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle. Leaving their shoes outside the closet door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.~**

Many people whistled, impressed with what they managed to do in such a short amount of time. And running on marble in socks, that couldn't have been easy to do, either.

~**"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. "I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room."~**

"I wish you told me how you found out after, I probably would have introduced you to Moody and told him what the three of you managed to do while the school was under high security, without being caught." Arthur smirked, causing his children to all fall over laughing while Molly scowled. Sure, it was impressive, but it was illegal! Her husband should have thought about punishment, not bragging!

~**Dorea checked her face in the cracked mirror. She was back to normal. She put her glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's stall.**

**"Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you -"**

**"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.~**

"Is this how that happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Dorea smirked.

"What happening are you talking about? There were quite a few things that happened that year." she said. Daphne couldn't suppress a smirk as she looked at Dorea.

"Quite the Slytherin tongue you have there, Potter." she said. Dorea smirk back.

"Of course, it's a survival tool." she said before indicating to Sierra's mother to continue reading.

~**Dorea and Ron looked at each other.**

**"What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are."**

**But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Dorea had rarely ever seen her looking so happy, meaning something bad had happened to Hermione.~**

Hermione scowled at Myrtle who giggled. It was karma for talking about people behind their backs.

~**"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful-"**

**They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head.**

**"What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"**

**Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink. Dorea just covered her mouth, mainly to prevent herself from laughing at the karma of it all.~**

"Force me to change genders and that's what happens!" Dorea said, sticking her tongue out at Hermione. "Ear and a tail!" Madam Pomfrey nodded, so that's what had happened.

~**Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair.~**

Lily winced, cat hair. Polyjuice isn't meant for animal or part-human transformations, meaning that Hermione would be stuck like that for quite some time...

**~"It was a c-cat hair!" she howled. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"**

**"Uh-oh," said Ron.**

**"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily. Dorea could just hear the vindictiveness in her ghostly friend's voice, but also the hope. Hope that if Hermione were to be teased, that Myrtle would make another friend.~  
**Hermione blinked and her jaw dropped in shock. She had never thought that Myrtle was all that lonely...

~**"It's okay, Hermione," said Dorea quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…"~**

"Sometimes it's better not to know how a turnip ends up in someone's rear." she said, looking directly at Sirius when she said that. Sirius just flushed and coughed, not a memory he wanted to go through.

~**It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. "Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"~**

"No one did, that's the thing." several people said at the same time as Sierra's mother closed the book. With that, the Gryffindor Quidditch team and the Bulgarians all stood up and walked out the Hall, leaving excitement and anticipation behind them.

It was time.

They were finally going to play.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Now, for the Review Replies!**

**LM Ryder: Hey, haven't talked to you in a while! Why thank you, the average I have in that class so far is a 91, and we're almost at midterms. That really sucks, but taking French is totally worth it! It's honestly making hearing people speak in French so much easier to understand, mainly because my teacher doesn't speak in English most of the time, only when teaching an important lesson. Other than that she speaks in French. No, Snape is not redeemable, because no matter what he did for the Light, he ruined those chances by abusing Dorea because of something she had no control over. I honestly appreciate everything he did, but quite honestly the way that he treated Harry in canon was unforgivable.**

**InsanityUnleashed: I'm sorry, but with the heavy semester this time around it makes it more difficult to update my story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story. I want to see it through until the end of the seventh book - and man do I have some twists that will happen in that book. *evil smirk***

**Don't Smile: You have just summed up my feelings towards his character in one go.**

**bloomnskyrules: Thank you! And I love Narcissa's character, she's a mother who puts her children before everything else. Well, think about it, that's how she acts in canon. She doesn't want her children involved in the war because they're underage, but when they act their age she gets peeved for no reason! Why thank you, the spells' classification had been bothering me for a while so I added it in here as well. Yeah, I like Millicent, even though she was only ever mentioned once her character is awesome. Yep, and it'll be Mrs. Granger that sides with Lily, just like you predicted! Because Mrs. Granger is a caring mother, but knows her limits on how involved she can be in Hermione's life.**

**KhaalidaNyx: Dude, I'm still not used to the new names. So, Abi, now that you're back in America, how's Aida's family? As insane as her?**

**IShipElectricChairs: Alright that username is totally a dig on me, isn't it? *giggles* I would think **_**you**_** would do that, not Abi... Yes, yes he is. Molly is a control freak, she wants one thing but if it isn't done her way then she's not happy. Heh, Luna has that sense of humour in canon, I'm just embellishing on it a little... I'm trying to remain as unstressed as possible, but with my Civics ISU due in a week... *Sweatdrops* And I've barely even started it... *facedesks* *laughs* Love you too, crazy lady!**

**griffindork93: No, sorry, as much as I love Dobby I won't be going that far against canon. Dobby's death was supposed to represent that even the smallest of things can die a hero's death, and so it shall remain. Dorea will be totally heartbroken and probably catatonic for a few hours, but other than that the reactions to his death will be the same towards the deaths of everyone else in the seventh book. Yeah! Sierra's very shy, so when she realized that so many people heard her she got embarrassed. Make sense? Yeah, especially when one of them is a teenage girl. That scene is going to be so much fun to edit and twist, simply because of all the things that I want to add into that chapter. No the rest of the Clan won't make an appearance, but in the sixth book we'll get into what happened to Michaela while she was with the Clan that caused her to start cutting herself. Trust me, it's really dramatic and really sad, so you'll probably either want to cry or murder someone. Why thank you! I honestly find it difficult to believe that there's no classification for emotionally powered magic, like the Patronus Charm, so I thought about it for a while and that's the classification style that came up.**

**midnight rose112358: I hope this chapter had those details that you wanted! Someone will hex Snape soon, probably in the third book, but other than that not yet. And I would honestly love to bring in your OC, but with 17 OCs already, I think my story has just enough. The misfit parents won't be talked about too much in the story, other than them defending their children or, in the case of Cat and Michaela's fathers, criticizing them. Other than that they won't be all that involved, which brings the OC count that matters to the story down to around 12, which is still a lot of OCs. So I'm really really sorry, and I would love to bring in your OC, but quite honestly I don't have the room to fit her.**

**MistBlade8: Yep! *Gasps* How did you know what I was planning? *chuckles* Oh don't worry, they're very entertaining. Yes, Snape is evil, and Dorea protects Lockhart, but it's because she's too kind for her own good. *laughs* Don't worry, when my favourite stories are updated I squeal and do and little dance as well. Oui, c'est la vie, et elle est folle!**

**Caohmin: Well, recognizing an awesome grandmother would be worth the embarrassing name. Besides, it's also following Black traditions and naming the child after a star. If it does get MA-rated, of which I will not right details, it'll be around the 5th and sixth books that they get to that stage in their relationship. *giggles* I'm basing Fleur's behavior off how she treated Harry in canon before he saved Gabrielle, and Gabrielle is just simply a sweetie that I adore. ****Oh, tu es français? À mon école, j'apprends français. Je suis désolé si mon français est terrible, mais je ne suis pas couramment pour l'instant.**

**Flames of Nocturne: Love the username, first of all. Very dramatic and dark at the same time :) Why thank you! I love that you like the changes that I've made, quite honestly I feel as though I'm weaving a new world based off of what JKR provided, you know? Well, it's not exactly borderline, but not exactly full on bashing yet, either. I just **_**hate**_** her character, she's far too controlling and demanding. I can't wait to write out the reactions either, especially Michaela's - remember, she has severe arachnophobia. That's gonna be interesting to write... Heh heh heh... *queue evil lightning in background* Well, I believe that Harry would most definitely downplay how large the basilisk was, which is why they will be visiting the Chamber after they read about it, leading Dumbledore to pass out and Dorea to likely be awarded an Order of Merlin, probably First Class, for what she did. Which is why I like Dorea being smart, because honestly, when you have no friends and no one who cares about you, you turn to books for a break from it all. I know that I did that. Ah, but you've forgotten the phoenix tears. And besides, who's to say that I don't have something planned that involves her blood? *Cackles evilly* That actually sounds like a really interesting story to read, mind sending me the title? Heh, thanks! PS. I love the History classes that my school provides, my teachers teach history in an interesting fashion that we actually learn from. French, I want the bilingual part because if I become officially bilingual, then any pay that I get is raised from that ability. I'm only taking Chemistry in grade 11, not grade 12. I don't plan on going into maths and sciences so I don't think statistics will really be necessary for me... I want to be a novelist, but my backup plans are English teacher, grade school French teacher, and History teacher.**

**RavenclawRampant: ... I know already that I'm not gonna finish replying to this ENTIRE review, since it's the longest one that I've EVER received, but here goes! *nods* I honestly don't think it would matter between being male or female, Harry or femHarry would remain looking the way that JKR described Harry to be. *smiles* I'm glad that you caught that! Because she never really had a childhood her emotions are a little messed up, especially behavior-wise. So, as a result she's impatient, childish, and unintentionally annoying most of the time, but because she grew up so quickly she's also snarky, polite as a natural defence, and sly at the same time. Well, what happened to Michaela is very, very loosely based off my relationship experiences and home life, in the fact that my siblings hate me because I'm me and I've only ever had bad break ups. As for Michaela's mother - I'm thinking about covering that in later chapters, maybe during the fourth book. Molly in canon annoyed me as well, JKR attempted to make her appear to be the kind, loving mother that Harry always wanted, but she's so horrible towards the Twins and forceful towards Bill! She allowed her daughter to mock and ridicule her future daughter-in-law! She's a horrible person at heart, and her character disgusts me! Just as you said, the two skills, the only ones which he possesses, together are deadly together, especially when in the hands of a narcissist who believes he's always right. For Hermione, her attitude annoyed me throughout the books, mainly because she thought that she always had to be right, even though Harry was right 90% of the time as well. I mean, she totally shot down the idea of a Horcrux being at Hogwarts, even though Harry had a very valid reason to suspect why one was there, and low and behold, there **_**was**_** one there! *smiles* Why thank you, I had run writing that speech. And, uh, she's being paired with George, not Fred... I see this as how the Twins would normally act, they're forced to understand things most people don't because they've seen how both their older and younger siblings act, and are always confused for each other by their mother, the one person in the world who should be able to tell her children apart in a heartbeat. I love Luna as well, she's quite most of the time because she's thinking about what's being read, but when she has something she wants to say she says it. There may be mild Luna bashing, but it would be very, very mild, and probably during one of the interludes. Naomi is a wonderful character, even though she doesn't belong to myself, and I honestly love how her character is turning out. She's there for Luna when she needs a friend, she understands Voldemort almost as much as Dorea and Dumbledore do, and she thinks far in advance before she speaks. *shrugs* Well, isn't that how Snape was in canon? *nods* They're really cool in real life too, though don't play Wii Sports Resort around Cat. She'll blind you! *rubs spot where Wii remote hit eye***

**Azzy97: Why thank you! I feel that if I didn't go into the depth that I'm going into then it wouldn't be fair to my readers, who deserve the details that I imagine for the story. And honestly I'm surprised that people don't have others from another universe, I mean, come on! When the books are sent back in time they create a time rift, which totally creates a new universe adjacent to the one that the books came from! I got the idea of Voldemort wanting Dorea to be his Dark Lady from several of the Dark!Fem!Harry/Voldemort stories that I've read, all of which are really good, and all of which bring a new side to the fem!Harry genre that I love.**

**Bele: I don't speak... *checks Google translate* ... **_**Latin**_**? You speak **_**Latin**_**? Wow, I didn't think anyone would review in **_**Latin**_**, of all languages! But, using Google translate as my trusty translator here, I'll respond as best as I can! *smiles* I never thought that I would have a fan that is actually thankful and understands why I'm defending homosexuals and bisexuals! Being bisexual myself, hearing people insulting my characters and story because of the homosexuality in it is the greatest insult they could possibly send my way. I'm treating Fleur, Molly, and Snape the way that they acted in the books, which is why they're being bashed. I honestly don't understand why there isn't as much bashing of these characters, since they're really fun and easy to bash. Don't worry, Sirius **_**will**_** live. I love Luna's character, she reminds me of myself in many ways, and don't worry; Naomi will defend Luna, but because Luna doesn't speak of her bullying Naomi doesn't know about most of it. *grins* I love that you love how I've made Blaise and Dante, and considering that the actual Dante was very pleased to hear that his character was paired with a hot guy, that makes it so much more fluffy fun to write! *smiles pleasantly* Thank you for the compliments, and Happy Easter to you as well!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15,921**

**Review Count: 1,438**

***sighs* I know that the goal was hit because the updates are getting slow, but it's honestly not my fault! It's getting difficult to write because I have so little time to do so, guys! So, because of that, I'm going to raise the goal once again to 125 reviews per chapter, since there will be a much longer time for you guys to review in. Make sense?**

**Review Goal: 1,565**

**Please hit it guys! I know you can!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**Review thingy right down here! Er, wait, it's over here now!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**... It's supposed to be on the opposite side, guys. Fanfiction won't let it appear on the right hand side, apparently.**


	36. Interlude 6

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC!**

**Thanks so much for the help, guys! I'd like to thank everyone who sent in ideas, and funnily enough the idea of Narcissa scolding Draco was one of the most popular ideas you guys sent in ^^'. The ideas that I've decided to use are as follows:**

**Toad Toffees and the Scouts are courtesy of White Angel of Auralon  
The Argument and Coupling is thanks to LucediDio  
The Ambush is all LoveForHarryPotter's  
Astronomy Tower Scene belongs to readamy64  
Random Shit, Bitch Buster, and Operation Fluff belong to IShipElectricChairs - **_**AND DAMMIT THAT USERNAME SHOULD SO BE MINE! **_** Or rather, mine should be **_**IBuildElectricChairs**_** should be mine :D**

**Fleur's song is courtesy of Shadow Phoenix 16 :) I honestly considered the other songs that had been requested and I'm sorry, but I just couldn't see the characters singing them *sheepish face***

_**Gaaaaaaaaaaah**_**! I was reading through the chapter after I posted it (like I normally do) when I noticed **_**this**_**:**

"She's not suggesting it, she's implying it." she snarled, much to Lily's joy and Molly's shock. "You're favouring someone who's not even related to you

**Which then goes into another part of the story! I am so sorry guys, it looks like the part was cut off! This is what it was supposed to be:**

"She's not suggesting it, she's implying it." she snarled, much to Lily's joy and Molly's shock. "You're favouring someone who's not even related to you, and over your own son, no less! Honestly, woman, you call yourself a wonderful mother!" The Hall was dead silent as no one spoke up to defend Molly, not even her husband. Molly ignored this, writing it off as shock from the silent from Susan's lies, but she was wrong. They were silent because they agreed with Susan, than Molly was nothing like the mother that she claimed to be.

**I am so sorry for that mistake, people! I'll try to never do something like that again!**

**And someone mentioned how in an earlier chapter, I described Michaela as "scarlet-y" in Molly's eyes, and that she shouldn't hate scarlet because it's a Gryffindor colour. First off, the Gryffindor colours are crimson and gold, not scarlet, there is a huge difference between the two colours. Second off, when Molly said scarlet-y, she pretty much meant slutty. She calls sluts, skanks, whores, whatever you call them, scarlet women, provided by JKR in the fourth book. Just wanted to clear that up!**

**Anyhow~! Onto the interlude~!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was sitting in the changing room silently. No one moved. They barely even breathed. This was it, the game of their lives. They would be playing against _the Bulgarian Quidditch Team_, a professional team that almost won the Quidditch World Cup. Dorea shuddered nervously and glanced around the eerily silent room, she didn't think any of her teammates would believe that they, as a school Quidditch team, would play against professionals like they were about to. It was inconceivable, sort of like how Dorea felt before she faced the Hungarian Horntail last year, like this was something that she would brag to her great grand-children about, that a professional Quidditch team found her and her teammates skilled enough to go against in an official game.

And official it was. Michaela and Krum had both pulled some strings, and there would be like technocameras filming and broadcasting this game live, all over the world. _Oh Merlin,_ Dorea thought as she gripped her Firebolt, _the world was about to watch her play against Victor Krum, the greatest Seeker of this age. Now now, no need to get nervous, it's not like if you lose people will mock you for it... But it would still be a loss... And if you win it'll only make you even more famous..._

Dorea sighed. It would be the match of her life, but it could only end up being a lose-lose situation. At least the brooms that the teams were using would be the same - Dorea and Victor were both using their Firebolts, Oliver and Zograf would both be using their Cleanweeps, the Chasers on both teams were using Nimbus 2000's (courtesy of Dorea to her older sister figures, they hadn't argued because after the Firebolt went on sale the Nimbus 2000 was around the same price as the Cleansweep 500's), while both sets of Beaters would be using Cleansweep 5's. The match would be completely fair and it would be Remus doing the commentary while Madam Hooch refereed, and her parents and boyfriend would be cheering for her in the crowd...

Dorea felt her back straighten and her shoulders square. She could do this, no, wait, _they_ could do this. They were a well-oiled machine, they could read each other's movements in a heartbeat and understand what play came after what, where to go when a Bludger was hit in _this_ direction, what to do when they were blocked _that_ way, they knew the ups and downs of this game. They were more than prepared; they were born for this match. All that was holding them back was their nerves.

Much to the surprise of the rest of the team, it wasn't Oliver that stood up for the pep talk before the game, rather, this time it was Dorea.

"We can do this." she said definitely. "We've been training our butts off these past few weeks, and know what, who cares if we lose?" Oliver blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to comment, but was cut off as Dorea continued speaking. "If we lose, then we're an amateur team where only one of our players has had professional training that lost against a pro team that's had pro training. If we win, then we're the best," Dorea began to pound her fist against the wall with each and every word she said here. "Damn," Pound. "Team," Pound. "That's," Pound. "Ever," Pound. "Played," Pound. "For," Pound. "Hogwarts." Dorea turned back to her teammates, all of whom looked much more ready to play than they had just moments ago. "WHO ARE WE?!" she screamed.

"GRYFFINDORS!" the team screamed back.

"AND WHAT DO WE DO?!" she demanded. Fred and George grinned wickedly.

"KICK ASS!" they screamed. The Chasers had a different opinion.

"WORK OUR ASSES OFF!" they screamed back. Oliver grinned, and unlike his teammates before him, he didn't scream.

"Win." he said simply.

That one word was all the team needed to hear as they began to cheer and huddle in small groups, planning what manoeuvres they would do when. Oliver took Dorea to the side and pulled her into a bear hug.

"That," he said as he pulled away. "Was simply the greatest pep talk I have _ever_ heard." He pat Dorea on the head and kissed her forehead in a brotherly manner. "You'll be a great captain." Dorea gave Oliver a thousand Watt smile at that last comment, and just as the team got together in one last huddle did Madam Hooch walk into the changing room.

"The game's going to start in a few minutes, guys, you'd best get reading." she said, nodded at the team, and walked out. Dorea could hear her shout out a wish of luck before the hawk-eyed woman left the room. The bottled up nerves that had been released during her speech had begun to gather again, but this time not in anxiety and worry, but rather in excitement and anticipation. Judging by the expressions on her teammates' faces, they felt the exact same way. No longer nervous and terrified at losing, but excited and eager to play the match of their lives.

It was only a few moments after the team had lined up at the door, mounting their broomsticks, that Remus called out their names in his announcer voice, but to the team, it felt like eons. Dorea could faintly made out Remus announcing the Bulgarian team onto the pitch, but her hearing came in full force the moment he all but screamed out the Gryffindor Team's names over the cheers of the crowd.

"- And playing for the home team, our very own Gryyyffiiindooors!" Remus called, earning the loudest cheers he had heard in a long time. "Please welcome them onto the pitch! _Wood_! _Johnson_! _Spinnet_! _Bell_! _Weasley_! _Weasley_! Aaand _POTTER_!"

Each member of the team took off and flew into the air for a lap around the field as soon as their name was announced, with Dorea's earning cheers that could compete with the World Cup. Once their lap was complete they took their places in the air, a good 10 feet above the ground as Madam Hooch walked in out her black and white striped robes, causing Michaela to point at the hawk-eyed woman and mention the robes to Dan, both nodding in agreement over one idea, that a muggleborn witch or wizard must have brought that idea into play.

James couldn't help but bounce up and down in his seat as he watched Madam Hooch release the Bludgers, the Snitch, and finally throw the Quaffle up in the air. Barely a second into the match and Remus was already commentating with an extreme amount of enthusiasm.

"The Quaffle has been released and Johnson swoops in, stealing the great red ball right out from under the Bulgarian team's nose - dodges a neatly aimed Bludger, courtesy of Vulchanov - hit right back towards Volkov thanks to Weasley - can't tell which twin it is from here - she's nearing the goal - nice feint on Johnson's part as she passes to Bell - she's going to do it - BELL SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE MATCH, 10-0 GRYFFINDOR!"

Katie did her victory lap around the pitch, something reserved only for the Chaser who scores the first goal, when she flew up close to Angelina and kissed her girlfriend full on the lips. Having that done right in front of them, Remus couldn't help but tease the two.

"And the lovely couple that is Johnson and Bell share a cute moment in the air - neither the time nor the place girls, try after the match in the broom closet on the thir- OW!" Remus shouted as a flushing McGonagall swatted him over the head. Despite her best efforts, the crowds below could tell what Remus had been about to say and were beside themselves in laughter.

"Get back to the match, Lupin!" McGonagall scolded as Katie and Angelina both regained focus (thanks to Oliver screaming his head off to them as Alicia stole the Quaffle from Ivanova) and flew back into the match, just in time for Dorea to spin in a corkscrew and take off so as to avoid one of the Bludgers that Volkov had sent her way. She flew higher and higher around the pitch, keeping her eyes wide open in search of the trademark flash of gold that was the Snitch. She noted that Krum was keeping an eye on her as well as searching for the Snitch himself, probably knowing that if she took off in one direction then the Snitch was likely to be over there, when she noticed that it appeared that Levski was about to fly right into Katie. Growling under her breath, Dorea took off towards the Bulgarian Chaser and, grinning manically when he saw her flying in his direction, launched herself up and off her broom, earning shocked gasps and horrified screams from the crowd below. Levski flew away from Dorea just as Katie reached the goal, passing the Quaffle to Alicia who earned Gryffindor another 10 points. When Dorea was close to 20 feet from the crowd, her Firebolt flew under her and, using both hands, she flipped around it twice like an acrobat and landed safely on her broom again, taking off and flying up into the sky again amidst the cheers of the Gryffindors in the stands below.

"Potter has just pulled off the stunt of the century - crazy girl, she is - by jumping off her broom, _towards_ the Bulgarian Chaser, and managing to land back on it safely _just_ to earn her team another goal! The teamwork between the Gryffindors is par none, I'm telling you, folks! Bulagria gets the Quaffle - Dimitrov passes to Levski, passes to Ivanova, passes back to Levski, who dodges a Bludger aimed towards him by Weasley - JOHNSON STEALS THE QUAFFLE FROM LEVSKI - SHE'S MAKING HER WAY DOWN THE PITCH - PASSES TO BELL - PASSES TO SPINNET - PASSES TO JOHNSON - SHE SHOOTS - ZOGRAF BLOCKS IT!" Remus shouted, jumping up and down in his seat due to the excitement. McGonagall could hardly blame him, she was jittering around and screaming for her Lions with every move that was being made.

"Zograf passes to Levski - passes to Ivanova - passes to Dimitrov - WEASLEY INTERFERS BY HITTING THE QUAFFLE WITH THE TAIL OF HIS BROOM, GIVING IT TO BELL - PASSES TO SPINNET - DODGES A BLUDGER HIT BY VULCHANOV - PASSES BACK TO BELL - DODGES THE FUCKING ("LUPIN!" McGonagall roared. "THERE ARE CHILDREN LISTENING!") _BAT_ THROWN BY VOLKOV - SHE'S AT THE GOALS - DODGES WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FOUL BY ZOGRAF - SHE SCORES AGAIN! 30-0 GRYFFINDOR!"

And so the match continued. The Bulgarians were beginning to see the Gryffindors as, by far, the toughest team they have ever faced. Even though only Chasers were allowed to touch the Quaffle and only Beaters were allowed to use their bats, the team had discovered loopholes that had never been used before, such as Fred intercepting a pass by the Bulgarian Chasers using his broom or his bat, something that the rules had never specified before. Include how well the Chasers worked together, how Oliver had an iron defence, and how Dorea was more than willing to launch herself off of her broom or fly directly towards the opposing team just to clear the way for her Chasers, and the Bulgarians were being pounded into the ground. They couldn't even think of using the Team Special Move, since Krum couldn't stay near Dorea long enough to attempt to knock her off her broom, and they didn't even think that an amateur team could prove to play so efficiently, meaning that they had been underestimating this team from the beginning and the consequences of that were beginning to show.

Mainly with Gryffindor's lead of over 100 points, though.

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN!"

... Make that 160 points, at 360-200 points, Gryffindor in the lead.

Dorea paused, well over 100 feet in the air, to pant and catch her breath. Those stunts she had been pulling the entire match really took quite a bit out of her, more so considering that she had pulled almost all of her special moves out in just over 2 hours, since that was how long the match had been taking. She grinned, if she were to catch the Snitch soon, then Gryffindor would win 510-200, making this the worst defeat that the Bulgarians had suffered in over a century. She could only imagine how proud everyone would be that _their_ Gryffindors succeeded in doing that, _before_ they were a pro team.

Scanning the pitch, Dorea could feel her heart stop. There, close to 50 feet above where Bill was standing, cheering for her and her team, was the Snitch. Her eyes darted over to Krum, who was on the exact opposite side of the pitch. His eyes flickered from the Snitch to her, and both took off.

The Snitch was exactly halfway in between the two of them, and moving down, quickly.

Dorea and Krum followed the Snitch into the steep dive, both ignoring the cheers of the crowd and Remus' extremely loud and colourful commentation, they were shoulder the shoulder, mere feet from the ground...

The two both pulled up, Krum too high to properly catch the Snitch, and Dorea...

"LADIES AND GENTS, I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM SEEING! DOREA POTTER IS DOING HER SPECIALTY DIVE, THE DIVE NAMED AFTER HER, THE _MOTHER FUCKING __**DOREA DIVE**_!" Remus screamed out to the audience, once again ignoring McGonagall's scolding of his language. Even though it would be bad to stop the game just to watch, the rest of the teams couldn't help it. They all hung there in midair, the Gryffindors cheering their Seeker on wildly while the Bulgarians stared at Dorea in shock as she was standing on her broom, her arm reached out to catch the Snitch...

When all of the sudden Volkov regained his sense and sent a Bludger down towards Dorea, hitting the tail of her broom and sending the ravenette flying through the air before she planned to. Gasping, the crowd was leaning over the edge of the stadium, trying to see whether or not Dorea was alright.

Bill, from his seat almost directly above Dorea, felt relieved when he saw that she wasn't hurt in the slightest, but was completely confused when he saw the shit-eating grin that had stretched across her face. Up until his eyes fell onto her closed fist, which she was slowly raising up into the air. Even though he had been untrained, he could still see the still gold wings that were peeking out from beneath her fingers.

"SHE'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Bill screamed, shaking Charlie wildly. "DOREA'S DONE IT! SHE'S FUCKING WON THE MATCH! _MY_ GIRL IS THE _BEST_ FUCKING SEEKER IN THE WHOLE FUCKING _WORLD_!"

Dorea, hearing Bill's screams, grinned even wider as she opened her fist slightly, making the Golden Snitch that she had captured all the more visible. The Gryffindor Team all flew down to the ground as Bill launched himself over the edge of the stands, landing on the ground next to Dorea and grinning wildly at his girlfriend. He lifted Dorea off the ground, pulled her into a bear hug, lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle in excitement. As the Gryffindor Team pulled the now snogging couple into the biggest group hug they could manage, they faintly heard Remus screaming his lungs out about the results, how Gryffindor won 510-200 against Bulgaria. Katie and Angelina were practically launching themselves at each other, snogging just like Bill and Dorea were, in sweet, sweet victory.

The team and both couples were interrupted in their personal celebrations (the Twins had captured Oliver in a headlock and were giving him dual noogies) by three men walking up to the team, all grinning wildly. The first man, a 23 year old with choppy blond hair and bright jade eyes was the first to speak.

"We don't have any intentions to interrupt your celebrations, but the three of us are from Ballycastle Bats, and we're here-" the man was cut off by Alicia.

"The Ballycastle Bats? But that's the best team in the British/Irish league right now, isn't it? They just destroyed the Tornados, didn't they?" she asked. The man nodded, twitching slightly at having been interrupted.

"Yes, it is, and as I was saying, my name is Arthur Kirkland, these are my brothers Alistair," he held a hand out to indicate his taller, redheaded with equally choppy hair and jade eyes, brother standing behind him on his right, smoking a cigarette. "And Liam," this time he held out a hand to indicate his other brother, who had neater, strawberry blond hair and jade eyes just like his brothers, but was shorter than Alistair and taller than Arthur. "And the three of us would like to offer all of you positions on the team, if you'd like to take them, that is." he said. Dorea looked from Bill, to her teammates, and then to Krum, before making up her mind and turning to Arthur.

"Mr. Kirkland, I don't mean to be rude in any sense, but I have to refuse your offer." Dorea said with a polite smile on her face. Arthur blinked in surprise by it, he had expected Dorea to act similar to Alfred F. Jones, a co-worker of his, but she acted much more like his look-alike cousin, Matthew Williams. Very humble and polite, and was likely very protective of those she held close as well. "Victor is the best professional Seeker in the world, and it wouldn't be much of a challenge to play professionally if I could beat him, albeit it was a bit difficult to do, without any professional training, now would it? The reason that I play Quidditch is because I love the challenge that it gives me, but if there's no one to challenge myself against that makes me want to get better so that I can beat them in the professional circuit, then what's the point in playing?" she asked politely. Alistair chuckled and grinned at Dorea.

"Ay, Artie, the lass's got a point, an' ye can't deny it." he said. Arthur glared at his brother, but he nodded and offered his hand for Dorea to shake

"I can't deny your logic, but I want you to know that if you ever plan on playing professional then Ballycastle will always welcome you with open arms." he said, and with a turn of his heel the three scouts and brothers left, but not before Liam paused, ran back, and asked Dorea if the three of them could get a photo with her to brag about to their co-workers and rub it in their faces that they met her. Laughing at the reasoning, Dorea agreed, and with Oliver taking the photo, Dorea stood in the middle of the three men, Arthur on her left, Liam on her right, and Alistair resting his hands on top of her head, all three brothers wearing wicked grins while Dorea was busy laughing as Liam poked her ticklish side.

Bill watched as Dorea gave the three men a farewell, chuckling and shaking his head. Those three men were definitely a strange bunch, especially with how Alistair had been giving Arthur bunny ears during the photo. He couldn't deny it, the three of them were polite, yet childish at the same time, and didn't fanboy over Dorea or reject her and call her insane because of everything that's happened to her.

Needless to say, he liked them.

**~O~O~O~ IN THE HALLS ~O~O~O~**

Dorea was walking, speaking once more with Baron Williams when she felt something was off. Indicating for him to go to the ceiling, she focused her magic like Lady Helena had taught her to and summoned the Sword of Godric Gryffindor into her hand. Because she was Lady Gryffindor as well as Hogwarts' Champion, through the magic that Hogwarts gave off she knew how to use the blade, but even so she practiced in the Room of Requirement every evening after dinner just to ensure that she could wield it properly. Bill had taken to watching her practice, and having some sword skills due to fighting off raiders during his time in Egypt, would occasionally spar with Dorea to keep his own skills intact. It was always good to have some sort of physical skill up your sleeve in case you lost your wand, something that Dorea had learned last June in the graveyard, as well as in the Chamber in her second year.

Inching forward, Dorea heard someone shift and ducked just as a fireball was aimed at her head. Looking up, she saw an extremely enraged Fleur Delacour standing in front of her, tossing another fireball up and down in her hand as though it were a baseball, or an apple.

"_Tu pute_!" she screamed. "_Tu as ruiné mes chances avec Bill_!" Dorea blinked, and mentally began translating with the French lessons that Michaela had been giving her. It was always good to know another language, especially when there were people in the Hall who weren't fluent in English. She narrowed her eyes and glared icily at Fleur.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what a _pute_ is. Though, judging by my "ruining your chances with Bill", it's safe to assume that you called me a bitch." Dorea said, using air quotes around her translation of Fleur's speech. The quarter-Veela began spewing out French so quickly that Dorea was only able to catch every other word. She immediately began tutting and glared at Fleur even more.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, right, she doesn't like you either." Dorea taunted, jumping out of the way as Fleur flung another fireball towards her. "Maybe that's because she, like Bill, realized what a controlling little twat you are." This time Dorea twirled gracefully out of the way, much to Fleur's rage. "After all, that's what drew Bill to me. Unlike you, I'm not a fake, conceited little slut of a princess that has to have it her way. Guess what, _Princesse Fleur_," Dorea ducked and cast a nasty boil hex towards the pretty face that was Fleur Delacour. "I'm no princess, I'm a _warrioress_ and that's what Bill likes." Dorea cast several more hexes, curses, and jinxes, all from the Potter Grimoire. A skin burning curse here, a Pink Eye jinx there, nothing that would permanently harm Fleur, just incapacitate her long enough for Dorea to get away. Warrioress or not, Dorea didn't like needless fighting. "And one last thing," Dorea sent a Water Lung hex, which would imitate the feeling of having inhaled quite a bit of water while not actually doing anything of the sort to Fleur. She stalked towards Fleur while the girl was doubled over, heaving for air. "I could demand retribution for you breaking our Magical Contract this instant, but I'm feeling generous. This is your last warning, and if you try to attack me or take away Bill one more time, I _will_ take away your magic."

And with that, Dorea spun on her heel and left, leaving Fleur to recall a phrase that she had heard from students of Hogwarts last year, during the TriWizard Tournament.

_God sent the Bones to keep the peace. The Devil sent the Blacks to corrupt the people. Death sent the Potters to remind everyone what happens when you cross him._

**~O~O~O~ AT THE PARTY ~O~O~O~**

The victory party, which was taking place in the Great Hall, was in full swing. Oliver and Alicia were having a drinking contest as to who could chug the more firewhiskey (Alicia was, surprisingly, winning - though she was far from sober at the same time), Katie and Angelina were snogging in the corner of the room in a half-dressed state with Sirius trying his hardest not to ogle to young couple from his spot near the drinks. Even the Bulgarians, being good sports, had joined in the celebrations, though Charlie suspected that they were celebrating over the fact that Dorea wouldn't be a Seeker when she graduated Hogwarts. He smiled as he watched Dorea and Michaela dancing together on the dance floor; the two girls really did know how to dance. He really appreciated Michaela's short shorts and off the shoulder shirt, they made her look at least 5 years older than she really was.

He had been sipping his own firewhiskey when his mother came walking up to him, her eyes narrowed as she followed where he was looking. She didn't like Michaela, she was only half-human, she dressed like a common whore, she acted so childishly and she was so vulgar it wasn't even funny. The girl may be attractive, she wouldn't deny that golden hair like hers was beautiful, nor would she deny that men would find her long legs attractive, especially when she wore the shorts that she did, but honestly, it was November and she was dressed like a prostitute! Molly all but marched over to her second oldest son and, smiling, began talking to him.

Charlie knew something was up with his mother the moment she first opened her mouth. She had a false smile plastered on her face, and a manipulative glint in her eyes that she only got when she was trying to make someone see things her way. Usually they, her husband and children, went along with what she wanted because it was too much of an effort to try and convince her out of whatever she was planning. He had to admit, when his mother set her mind on something, she was more Slytherin than she was Gryffindor, and not the good kind of Slytherin that he had been getting to know these past few weeks, either. She was the manipulative, unlikeable stereotypical Slytherin that no one wanted in their house.

"Mom, get to the point. What do you want to talk to me about?" Charlie growled, his eyes narrowed. Molly, on the other hand, blinked in surprise. How had Charlie known that she was beating around the bush? Mentally shrugging, she decided that there was no better time than now to come forward with what she had been thinking this entire time.

"... I don't want you to be around that Elf girl anymore, Charlie. She is obviously the wrong person for you, not to mention that she's clearly a scarlet woma-" Molly was incapable of finishing her sentence, as Charlie has Silenced her non-verbally. Her eyes widened in shock and anger as she stared at her fuming son before her.

"I've had enough of your criticizing, mum." he growled out angrily. "You don't know _anything_ about Michaela, and yet you think that you can tell me whether she's the right person for me? I can decide that on my own, thank you very much, and if I'm wrong, well, nothing like learning from my experiences to teach me a lesson." he snarled. Molly canceled the Silencing Charm that her son had placed on her and, in order to prevent a scene from happening, she began snarling quietly at her son, just as he had towards her mere moments ago.

"This is why you should have taken the job at the reserve in Scotland, Charlie. Obviously Romania has gotten to you, if you think that a little _whore_ like her is fine to be around. You would have lived comfortably at home, I would have cooked you three hot meals a day, and you wouldn't have gotten such horrible judgement from those 'friends'," Here, Charlie could practically feel the air quotes that his mother was using. "Of yours back in Romania." Charlie glared at his mother and said one last thing that would, unfortunately, shatter his mother's heart and faith in him.

"The reason that I took the job in Romania over the one in Scotland was so I could get away from you and your controlling habits." With that, Charlie turned on his heel and towards the karaoke that was being set up, talking to Sirius about something. Molly simply stood there, silently fuming and denying what her so- no, no son of hers would say something like that about her. Charlie may remain a Weasley, but he would no longer be a Prewett if she had any say about it.

Several minutes passed before Sirius stoop up on the stage once more, earning a multitude of cheers from the partying and, in most cases for those at least 15 years of age and older, drunk crowd. Once things began to calm down a bit from the excitement of another karaoke night, Sirius finally spoke.

"Ladies and gents, welcome to another Karaoke Night, this time, VICTORY STYLE!" Sirius shouted, throwing his hands in the air as sparkles and fire shot out in columns behind him. Everyone cheered as Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest, there's not much a difference between Victory Style and Normal Style, just the fire and sparkles." he said sheepishly, causing everyone to laugh at the expression on his face. He grinned wickedly as he plucked up the first card that appeared in front of him and read it. "Well, ladies and gents, first off we have Lily Potter singing Killer Queen by Queen! Give the lovely lady a warm welcome!" he shouted as Lily walked onto the stage, handed her the mic and jumped off the stage before the redhead could hit him with the book she had conjured. The music began and Lily began singing, making it clear to everyone where Dorea had gotten her singing voice from.

**She keeps Moët et Chandon  
In her pretty cabinet  
'Let them eat cake,' she says  
Just like Marie Antoinette**

Dorea let out a low whistle.

"Do I sing anything like her?" she asked Michaela, whom she was standing next to. Michaela grinned and threw an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Better, babe." she teased, winking and nudging her friend's side. Dorea laughed and poked Michaela back, she knew that the girl was bi. Sure, she swung more towards boys than girls, but she was still bi all the same.

**A built-in remedy  
For Kruschev and Kennedy  
At anytime an invitation  
You can't decline**

Lucius sneered, filthy muggle song. Filthy mudblood. Should have stayed dead.

**Caviar and cigarettes  
Well versed in etiquette  
Extraordinarily nice**

**She's a Killer Queen**  
**Gunpowder, guillotine**

Narcissa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It sounded as though this song would fit Dorea Potter, and possibly herself, to a T.

**Dynamite with a laser beam  
Guaranteed to blow your mind  
Anytime**

James grinned, his wife definitely knew how to hit the high notes, if you knew what he meant.

**Recommended at the price  
Insatiable an appetite  
Wanna try?**

Charlie waited nervously in line, he would be singing soon... Hopefully Michaela would accept it... He knew she loved cheesy things, so maybe it would be cheesy enough for her...?

**To avoid complications  
She never kept the same address  
In conversation  
She spoke just like a baroness  
Little Man from China  
Went down to Geisha Minor  
Then again incidentally  
If you're that way inclined**

Cat snorted a little in her cup of pumpkin juice. A geisha was Japanese, not Chinese, and technically speaking was a formal prostitute.

**Perfume came naturally from Paris  
For cars she couldn't care less  
Fastidious and precise**

**She's a Killer Queen**  
**Gunpowder, guillotine**  
**Dynamite with a laser beam**  
**Guaranteed to blow your mind**  
**Anytime**

**Drop of a hat she's as willing as  
Playful as a pussy cat  
Then momentarily out of action  
Temporarily out of gas  
To absolutely drive you wild, wild.  
She's all out to get you**

Narcissa shook her head. Scratch her idea, then.

**She's a Killer Queen  
Gunpowder, guillotine  
Dynamite with a laser beam  
Guaranteed to blow your mind  
Anytime**

**Recommended at the price**  
**Insatiable an appetite**  
**Wanna try?**  
**You wanna try...**

Lily finished and began to walk off the stage amidst the cheers of the half-drunk crowd, handing the mic to Sirius as she passed him by. He grinned and continued introducing 7 more people before he grinned at the card once more. Everyone could tell when he recognized the singer now, when he knew the person he would grin the way he was now.

"Well well well, looks like our resident Dragon Tamer has decided to make a move! Introducing Charlie Weasley singing Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows! Give him a round of applause everyone!" he cheered, and Michaela felt her heart pound faster at the name of the song. She would recognize it anywhere, she had been the one to introduce it to him... But did he mean to sing it to her?

Walking onto the stage, Charlie looked out at the crowd and, before the music began, started speaking.

"Uh, I'd like to dedicate this song to the girl who introduced me to it... And I mean every word of it. So, Michaela, this one's for you." he said, much to Molly's rage. Michaela clapped her hands over her mouth, tears of joy leaking from her eyes. Yes! Yes yes yes yes _YES_! He loved her! He loved her back!

**So she said what's the problem baby  
What's the problem I don't know  
Well maybe I'm in love (love)  
Think about it every time  
I think about it  
Can't stop thinking 'bout it**

Arthur smiled brightly at his son, glad that he found the only person who could make his usually stage-frightened son come out and do something like this in front of hundreds of people.

**How much longer will it take to cure this**  
**Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)**  
**Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love**

**Come on, come on  
Turn a little faster  
Come on, come on  
The world will follow after  
Come on, come on  
Cause everybody's after love**

Bill walked up to Dorea and hugged her around her midriff from behind, leaning forward and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Looks like he's finally worked up the balls to confess, eh?" he asked. Dorea giggled and watched her sister in all but blood grin widely and make her way towards the stage. If she knew Michaela like she did, she knew exactly what the girl was planning.

**So I said I'm a snowball running  
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love  
Melting under blue skies  
Belting out sunlight  
Shimmering love**

**Well baby I surrender**  
**To the strawberry ice cream**  
**Never ever end of all this love**  
**Well I didn't mean to do it**  
**But there's no escaping your love**

Galandriel and Elront smiled with a mixture of sadness and utmost joy as they watched the man that they approved of confess his love for their granddaughter, and daughter of their hearts, in front of all these people. They weren't stupid, they, unlike humans or part-humans, could feel the matching magical wavelengths coming off Michaela and Charlie. They knew that the two were SoulMates.

**These lines of lightning  
Mean we're never alone,  
********Never alone, no, no **

******Come on, Come on  
Move a little closer  
****Come on, Come on********  
****I want to hear you whisper  
****Come on, Come on  
****Settle down inside my love**

**Come on, come on**  
**Jump a little higher**  
**Come on, come on**  
**If you feel a little lighter**  
**Come on, come on**  
**We were once**  
**Upon a time in love**

Michaela made her way closer to the edge of the stage, her eyes keeping contact with Charlie's the entire time. He accepted her, after everything that had happened to her; he accepted her and loved her. She could ask for nothing more.

**We're accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally**

**I'm In Love, I'm in Love,**  
**I'm in Love, I'm in Love,**  
**I'm in Love, I'm in Love,**  
**Accidentally**  
**Accidentally**

Michaela finally made it to the edge of the stage, and Charlie started walking towards her, the two of them looking at no one other than each other. If they hadn't, they would have seen girls cooing, guys smiling, and Sirius wolf whistling.

**Come on, come on  
Spin a little tighter  
Come on, come on  
And the world's a little brighter  
Come on, come on  
Just get yourself inside her**

Charlie knelt down in front of Michaela, stroking her cheek gently and lovingly.

**Love...**

**I'm in love...**

The music ended, but no one cheered as Charlie asked Michaela one question.

"Michaela Dupont, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked. Michaela's answer was to grab him by his shirt collar, drag him down to meet her lips, and snog him passionately. As the two broke apart for air, Michaela answered with words, allowing the mic to pick up her voice.

"_Yes_."

Everyone cheered and Charlie, throwing the mic at a doggishly happy Sirius, slid off the stage and swept Michaela up into a bear hug and loving, gentle kiss. Molly, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but fume. Sure, Charlie looked happy, but that scarlet woman would only break her baby's heart.

She had no idea that that was the last thing that Michaela would do to him.

**~O~O~O~ MEANWHILE - ASTRONOMY TOWER ~O~O~O~**

Ginny was sitting at the top of the Astronomy Tower, watching the sun set from the clear view that the height of the tower provided. She sighed happily, content with what was happening. She could hear the party below, and she felt happy for Dorea for winning, she really did - it was just that she didn't feel as though that party was somewhere that she should be. Whenever she felt confused, or unsure about anything, she would come up to the Astronomy Tower just to enjoy the view that was provided.

Theodore Nott, on the other hand, had felt a strange pull towards the Astronomy Tower all night and, just before the karaoke had started, had decided to leave and discover what was pulling him towards the top of that tall tower. He felt surprised, but also not surprised at the same time, when he saw Ginny Weasley standing there, leaning against a block and watching the sun set. It was truly beautiful today, the sun looked like a large, gold orb that set off a gorgeous orange-gold glow, surrounded by a wondrous salmon pink which developed into coral, with then merged with the violet sky to become a mysterious indigo. Walking up beside her, making noise so as to not shock her, Theo leaned against the block that Ginny was on and looked out at the sky. Neither teenager made any noise for a few minutes, and when one of them did, it was Ginny who broke the silence.

"... It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, running a hand through her crimson hair, which appeared auburn in the glow of the setting sun. "Whenever I don't feel right about something, I always come up here... It's so calming, you know?" she asked, looking up at the brunet. Theo couldn't help but let out a small smile as he subconsciously reached for Ginny's hand.

"Yeah... It is..." he muttered, taking Ginny's hand in his and just holding it. Ginny looked up at Theo, slightly surprised, but smile and squeezed his hand, not letting it go.

By the time the two would leave their perch up on the Astronomy Tower, the sun would have long since set and they would only go inside because of the cold November air.

**~O~O~O~ BACK TO THE PARTY ~O~O~O~**

It was the second last song of the night, and as Sirius scowled as he looked at the card in front of him.

"Next up we have Fleur Delacour singing Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne." he said in a monotone. As the quarter-Veela walked onto the stage, many people began to boo, Michaela being the loudest of them all. She scowled back at the crowd, once again looking for Bill, and once again, failing to find him amongst the sea of faces.

What she didn't know was that Dorea had draped her Invisibility Cloak over him so as to keep Fleur's eyes off of him.

**Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
I know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend**

It was no secret to anyone as to who Fleur was singing to, and no one was impressed. If that glow on Samhain meant anything, it most likely meant that there was no one else in the world that Dorea and Bill could be more compatible with. Fleur trying to break them apart was not impressive in the slightest.

**You're so fine  
I want you mine  
You're so delicious  
I think about you all the time  
You're so addictive  
Don't you know what I could do to make you feel alright (alright, alright, alright)?  
Don't pretend I think you know I'm damn precious  
And Hell Yeah  
I'm the motherfucking princess  
I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right**

Dorea couldn't help but snort as she remembered what she had called the French tart earlier. _Princesse Fleur, c'est très approprié pour cette pute_. (Princess Fleur, it's very fitting for that bitch.)

**She's like so whatever  
You could do so much better  
I think we should get together now  
And that's what everyone's talking about!**

Bill rolled his eyes. Fleur was so far in denial that she was drowning in it.

**Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
You know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend**

**I can see the way, I see the way you look at me  
And even when you look away I know you think of me  
I know you talk about me all the time again and again (again, again, again)  
So come over here, tell me what I want to hear  
Better yet make your girlfriend disappear  
I don't want to hear you say her name ever again (and again, and again, and again!)**

**She's like so whatever  
You could do so much better  
I think we should get together now  
And that's what everyone's talking about!**

**Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
You know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend**

**In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger**  
**'cause I can, 'cause I can do it better**  
**There's no other**  
**So when's it gonna sink in?**  
**She's so stupid**  
**What the hell were you thinking?!**

**In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger  
'cause I can, 'cause I can do it better  
There's no other  
So when's it gonna sink in?  
She's so stupid  
What the hell were you thinking?!**

**Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend  
No way! No way!  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
You know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend  
No way! No way!**

**Hey! Hey!**

No one applauded for Fleur as she walked off the stage in a huff. Sirius even went so far as she bump her off the stage as she passed him by. Taking the mic at the same time, Sirius picked up the last card and grinned once more.

"Last but certainly not least, we have Hermione Granger singing Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson! Give our last singer an extra loud round of applause everyone, because we all know she isn't trying to steal my awesome goddaughter's faithful boyfriend!" he shouted. Dorea's response?

"GET A LIFE, PADFOOT!" she screamed, causing everyone to burst into laughter. Sirius stuck out his tongue and handed the mic to Hermione, who was standing in the middle of the stage nervously as the music started.

**I don't wanna be left behind  
Distance was a friend of mine  
Catching breath in a web of lies  
I've spent most of my life  
Riding waves, playing acrobat  
Shadowboxing the other half  
Learning how to react  
I've spent most of my time**

Everyone began clapping to the beat as Hermione sang the chorus.

**Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right**

**Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,**  
**I ain't got time for that**  
**Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,**  
**It's all so simple now**

Many people began cheering Hermione on enthusiastically as she sang. No one knew that she could sing this well, she sounded just as good as the original singer!

**Addicted to the love I found  
Heavy heart, now a weightless cloud  
Making time for the ones that count  
I'll spend the rest of my time  
Laughing hard with the windows down  
Leaving footprints all over town  
Keeping faith, karma comes around  
I will spend the rest of my life**

Those who knew the song began to sing alongside Hermione in the crowd, most of them singing with drunken slurs, but singing along all the same.

**Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right**

**Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,**  
**I ain't got time for that**  
**Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,**  
**It's all so simple now**

**You helped me see  
The beauty in everything**

Dorea, Ron, and George all smiled at those lyrics. They knew that they were directed towards them, how they didn't understand, but they knew.

**Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right**

**Catching my breath, letting it go,**  
**Turning my cheek for the sake of the show**  
**Now that you know, this is my life,**  
**I won't be told what's supposed to be right**

**Catch my breath**

**Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,**  
**I ain't got time for that**  
**Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,**  
**It's all so simple now**  
**It's all so simple now**

**Catching my breath, letting it go,**  
**Turning my cheek for the sake of the show**  
**Now that you know, this is my life,**  
**I won't be told what's supposed to be right**

**(Catch my breath)**

**Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,**  
**I ain't got time for that**  
**(Catch my breath)**  
**Catch my breath (catch my breath), won't let them get me down,**  
**It's all so simple now**

Hermione sang the last line and the cheers grew. Sirius ran up onto the stage and all but glomped the bushy haired fifth year.

"Hermione, I never knew you could sing like that! You have a gift and you need to flaunt it!" he announced, causing more and more cheers from the crowd. Hermione simply flushed and, after promising a very excited Sirius that she would sing again for another karaoke night, was finally allowed to go off the stage, only to run into a scene between Cho and Luna.

Hermione might not agree with many of Luna's beliefs, but she wouldn't stand for bullying. And, apparently by the way that Naomi appeared behind Cho, neither did she. The blonde sent Hermione a smirk that Hermione returned with full force. It was time to bust this bitch.

"_Anteoculatia_." Hermione whispered, waving her wand in an inverted V motion. Cho let out a screech as her dark brown, almost black, hair suddenly turned into antlers. Naomi wasn't about to let up on the girl's punishment, and cast the next spell.

"_Cantis_." she said, turning Cho's screech into a burst of song. Luna let out a wicked grin and pulled out her own wand, not wanting out of the fun.

"_Herbifors_." she said in a singsong voice, causing flowers to burst from Cho's very pores. The seventh year girl ran off screaming in song, earning looks from those she was passing by and laughter echoing through the Great Hall as she left. The three then turned to each other and, not saying another word, nodded, sealing an unspoken deal.

They would humiliate any bullies that they came across from now on by working together. They may have their differences, but they could get along just fine and understand each other through themselves being victims of bullying. Hermione in her childhood and from Malfoy and Parkinson, Luna from most of the school, and Naomi from the orphanage and most of the other students for being a weaker witch than they were.

The bullies would no longer get away unscaved.

**~O~O~O~ LATER ~O~O~O~**

With the party said and done, Bill and Dorea walked hand in hand into the Gryffindor Common Room, only to be confronted by an extremely confused Charlie.

"Hey, Bill," the dragon tamer asked, looking at his older brother. "Any idea as to why the room we were sharing now only has my stuff in it?" Bill and Dorea both stared at Charlie in confusion before saying the one thing that conveyed what was going through their minds.

"Huh?" Charlie only rolled his eyes and all but dragged the couple over to the oak door that led to Charlie's own room, pointing at the plaque that once read _Bill and Charlie Weasley_, now only reading _Charlie Weasley_. All three stared at the door in complete confusion before looking at Bill.

"Wait, if you've been kicked out of that room, where're you sleeping now?" Dorea asked. Her question was answered by the howling laughter of one Michaela Dupont from across the Common Room. Turning, the three humans stared at the hysterical High Elf as she began rolling around on the floor with laughter. When the blonde noticed the stares that she was getting, all she could do was point at the now larger plaque on Dorea's door. Walking over, the jaws of the three people dropped as they read the plaque in shock.

Dorea was the first to react by throwing her hands in the air.

"Oh come on, I'm already Fate's bitch, now I'm Hogwarts' too?!" she screamed, causing the redheads to join Michaela in the hysteric as she glared at the plaque on the door. Not that she was angry about the arrangements, but the fact that Hogwarts had a very, well, _strange_ sense of humour.

What was etched into the plaque was quite simple, really. And it was all Hogwarts' doing.

_Dorea Potter and Bill Weasley  
Cutest Couple __Ever__~!_

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 9,599**

**Pfffffffffffffffffffft, I love Hogwarts' sense of humour XD**

**Also, I have no idea how it happened, but... Hermione, Luna, and Naomi are the anti-bullying squad now? *dies laughing***

**Anyway, that last scene came to me, quite honestly, before I even wrote the Quidditch scene, so yeah ^^' But it was all mine~! And that makes me so happy! :D Also, three cheers for you if you can name the characters that I referred to as scouts and the co-workers and where they are from! First one to do so, I will give you... *holds up glowing stick* MEIN SHTICKY FREUND~!**

**Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think about this interlude, since it's the first time I'm using the ideas of other people in my work when I actually need it. I usually take suggestions people give and twist them in one way or another to make them unique, but this chapter was pretty much all thanks to the fans~! YOU GUYS ROCK~! 3**


	37. Book 2: Chapter 13

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC, TheoxGinny~!**

**Gah! I am so sorry for the late update, guys, but last week passed by so quickly that it felt like I blinked and it was already Friday, and then this past week I've had something every single day that's kept me busy! I am so, so sorry!**

**On another note, I've finally made Theo and Ginny an official couple for this story :)**

**Also, ****Phoenix Moon17**** was the one who first correctly guessed the characters! As such, *presents Shticky Freund* Mein Shticky Freund is yours~! Take care of him and make sure to feed him lots of wurst!**

**On with the story~! Because you guys totally deserve it after the long wait!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

The next morning, Dorea woke up curled up against Bill. For a moment, she almost had a panic attack before she remembered what Hogwarts had done the night before. Lifting her head slightly, she looked at her traditional alarm clock and saw that it was already 8:37 in the morning. Groaning, she slumped back down and cuddled up to Bill, only for the older man to wake up and smile down at the tired teen.

"Morning, sweetie." he whispered, running a hand through her hair. Dorea hummed in response and leaned into his touch, his fingers felt so good against her scalp.

"Do we have to get up?" she whined, snuggling into Bill's chest. "I just wanna have a lazy day." she muttered into Bill's shirt, burying her face in the soft fabric. Bill chuckled and, much to Dorea's annoyance, sat up and leaned against the headboard of their shared bed.

"Sweetie, if we don't get up now they'll end up sending someone to drag us down there for the reading. Do you really want that to happen?" he asked, giving Dorea an Eskimo kiss. The 15 year old pout and looked down.

"No..." she muttered, much like a bashful child. Bill smiled and pecked Dorea's lips before scooting out from underneath the tiny girl. The two turned their backs on the other for privacy purposes and began to change.

**~O~O~O~ 10 MINUTES LATER ~O~O~O~**

Everyone was sitting in the Great Hall except Umbridge herself. Madam Bones had told Dumbledore that, while it was clear that the woman had not left the castle or the castle grounds, she was not found in her rooms that morning. In fact, everyone was beginning to start the daily reading without her when the doors slammed open, revealing a large, human-sized pink toad that was trying to hop through into the Hall. Dorea took one look at the bow on the toad's forehead and fell over onto her mother laughing, tears coming to her eyes.

"I-It's _Umbridge_!" she gasped. The words carried through the Hall, causing all but Fudge, Lucius, the Dursleys, Snape, Molly, and the toad herself to fall over in hysterical laughter. Of the centaurs, the only one who managed to stay on his feet was Bane, who was bent over laughing rather than on his back like most of his brethren. Once the two of them calmed down enough, Fred and George stood up, tall and proud, each holding a box of what appeared to be puke green coloured treats in their hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as the latest Weasley Wizard Wheezes development -" George started.

" - We, the founders and owners, proudly present to your our greatest creation thus far -" Fred continued.

" - Toad Toffees!" both announced, holding their respective box above their head. George cleared his throat and looked out at the crowd.

"Any and all warnings are on the box when purchased. Not to be used on children ages 5 or younger, any and all side effects that are not listed on the box should be reported to either myself, Fred, or our partner Lee Jordan immediately." he said. Molly blinked in surprise at how professional the younger of the twins sounded; she never realized that they actually took this seriously. She was glad that they were taking something seriously, but honestly, couldn't they see that this business of theirs would last one, maybe two years at most? They should work on getting real jobs, not this practical joke nonsense.

Once things calmed down after people placed orders with either of the three business partners for their own Toad Toffees, Dumbledore stood and looked around.

"Now that the excitement has passed, who would like to read the next chapter?" he asked. Fabian waved his arm wildly in the air, grinning like an idiot.

"I will! Me me me!" he shouted. Molly shook her head, exasperated. She had forgotten how immature her brother was. Dumbledore simply chuckled and passed the book over to the excited Prewett, who opened the book to the thirteenth chapter and, clearing his throat, began to read.

~**CHAPTER THIRTEEN – THE VERY SECRET DIARY~ **he said. Dorea glowered at the book and Ginny paled, would she find out now how Dorea had gotten her hands on that stupid thing?

~**There was a flurry of rumor about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked.~**

"Not yet." Hermione grumbled, looking at Michaela and Dorea, who were quietly chatting with Lily about who knows what. Just a few weeks ago that was her, sitting next to Dorea all the time and talking to her. She knew she shouldn't feel jealous, as Dorea still made time for her friends at Hogwarts as well, but Dorea was her first real friend, and she didn't want the ravenette to push her to the side in preference of her childhood friend, despite how unlikely that would be.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger, on the other hand, had heard what Hermione had said and sent each other horrified looks. Their daughter had been attacked?! Why hadn't they known about this?!

~**So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.~**

Sierra scowled.

"Jeez, talk about rude. Do you students do that to every person you hear is in the Hospital Wing?" she asked, causing almost everyone in their fourth year and up to shift uncomfortably. Now they understood what Dorea had said earlier, hindsight being 20/20 and a total bitch. They really should have thought about that beforehand.

~**Dorea and Ron went to visit her every evening. When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.~**

"Dorea needed help carrying all the books, but she was the one to give Hermione her notes and explain what was covered in class." Ron said. "I don't know how it happened, but over her first year her handwriting became some of the neatest that I have ever seen." All the girls in the Hall shrugged and giggled.

"Girl thing." they all said. And in general, it was true, the girls had neater handwriting than the boys at Hogwarts, and no one knew why.

~**"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.~**

"Don't worry," Hermione said before Molly could begin scolding. "We would have made sure that he did all his work before he went back to class."

Arthur, on the other hand, was watching his wife warily. He wasn't usually home, having to work overtime almost every single night as well as having to go in early in the morning, so he never really got to see how his children and his wife interacted. These past few weeks had been quite the eye opener for him, proving to him what Fabian and Gideon had warned him about before he started dating Molly was true - she loved control more than anything, and hated everything that didn't fit her perfect image of the world.

~**"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly.~**

"I do." Dorea said simply, most of the children in the Hall nodding. Ron blushed and ducked down.

"I meant I would take a break until I could look in the mirror and not see hair sticking out of everywhere." he muttered. Susan simply smiled and gave him a one armed hug, he suffered from foot-in-mouth disease, but that didn't mean that he didn't mean well.

~**Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown, something which disappointed Dorea. Bright, golden yellow eyes were so cool to look at.~**

Hermione looked at her friend, perplexed.

"Really?" she asked. Dorea nodded enthusiastically.

"They were practically glowing." she said. Hermione hummed and nodded, thinking back to then. Really, the only good thing that she got out of that was that the cat-like night vision had been impossible for Madam Pomfrey to reverse, meaning that she could see in the dark perfectly fine.

~**"I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.~**

"Maybe I should start bugging the curtains, you know, to make sure my patients aren't planning any illegal activities." Madam Pomfrey said, looking pointedly at the Golden Trio and the Marauders. Both groups looked at Pomfrey with wide, doe-like eyes, each pointing to his or herself.

"_Us_? When?" they all asked simultaneously, earning shivers from many in the Hall. The way they did that was just creepy.

~**"Nothing so far," said Dorea gloomily.**

**"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for the hundredth time.~**

"Right family, wrong person." Narcissa muttered so that Madam Delacour could hear her. The Half-Veela smiled, so Narcissa Malfoy didn't support her husband in his following of Voldemort? Good to know.

~**"What's that?" asked Dorea suddenly, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.~**

Hermione threw a pillow at Dorea, who deflected it with her wrist. Instead it hit Michaela. Rubbing her head, the blonde pouted.

"Ow, babe, that hurt!" she whined. Dorea cooed and began to mock rub the non-existent hump on Michaela's head, making both their boyfriends laugh at the two. They would definitely speak at each other's weddings - _when_ they got married to their own redheaded Weasley. Not _if_, _when_.

~**"Just a Get Well card**," **said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open and read aloud:**

**"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming Smile Award."~**

If they weren't gagging in disgust, they were laughing at the blush that crossed Hermione's face as that was read once more.

~**Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted with the card.**

**"You sleep with this under your pillow?"~**

"Actually, I had been hiding it because I knew you were coming and I knew you would react like that." Hermione pointed out. "I just didn't have time to cram it under the mattress."

**~ But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.**

**"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Dorea as they left the Hospital Wing and started up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.**

**Snape had given them so much homework, Ron thought they were likely to be in the sixth year before they finished it.~**

Dorea snickered.

"Ron, it only took a few hours tops." she stated. Ron glowered and looked at his feet. "That is, if you pay attention in class when he's giving the instructions and actually read about the potion on the side." Dorea said thoughtfully, every Ravenclaw nodding in agreement with her. She definitely had the brains of a Ravenclaw, that was for sure.

~**Ron was just saying he wished he had asked Hermione how many rat tails you were supposed to add to a Hair-Raising Potion,~**

Dorea and Hermione both held up two fingers as Ron pouted.

"It's in the instructions in the text, Ron." Lily said, causing the redhead to flinch and blush. He hadn't known that, they rarely used the text in class as the instructions were written on the board - and were usually incorrect so as to cause explosions, as Dorea had discovered when comparing the text instructions to the ones on the board one day during their third year.

~**when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.**

**"That's Filch," Dorea muttered, as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard.~**

Molly scowled but everyone else nodded. It was always interesting to find out what he was angry at, but you needed to stay out of the way if you did so.

~**"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely. Dorea shrugged, really it would depend on who was attacked as to how Filch would react.~**

Everyone paused and nodded in agreement after some thought, she had a point there.

**~They stood still, their heads inclined towards Filch's voice, which sounded quite hysterical.**

**"-even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore-"~**

"Argus, since you apparently hate your job so much, you can find another one." Dumbledore said finally. Filch stared at the elderly wizard in shock as everyone that had ever been tormented by the man cheered, finally there was no more Filch and Mrs. Norris to deal with!

~**His footsteps receded and they heard a distant door slam.**

**They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post; they were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked.~**

"Don't know how we wandered there, it just happened." Dorea said, shrugging. That usually happened to her, she always ended up at the right place at the right time - this time being that she found the diary before anyone else did.

~**They saw at a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Now Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.~**

"Yeah, Myrtle?" Hermione asked innocently. Myrtle looked over at the bushy haired girl who smiled slightly. "Your screaming has nothing on Dorea's screaming. She out screamed Walburga Black." Narcissa's head whipped around to look at Dorea in shock.

"_No_." she said. Dorea shrugged.

"Yeah, it's kinda true..." she said. Narcissa looked to Sirius for confirmation, and when the Lord nodded the woman sat back in her seat in shock. Dear Merlin, she had always thought that was impossible... All the Blacks had...

~**"Now what's up with her?" said Ron.**

**"Let's go and see," said Dorea in concern, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water to the door bearing its 'Out of Order' sign, ignored it as always, and entered.**

**Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet, something which told Dorea that whatever had happened was bad.**

**It was dark in the bathroom, because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet. Dorea couldn't help but feel horrible, this was worse than Myrtle usually was when she felt depressed.~**

"It _was_?!" all the girls besides Dorea who had been in Myrtle's bathroom when she was feeling moody asked. Dorea glared at all of them.

"Did the book just say that, or are all of you deaf?" she snapped. Michaela sighed and pulled some pills out of her pocket and handed them to Dorea, who downed them dry. Upon the strange looks the two were getting, Michaela shrugged.

"Pain killers." she said, as though that explained everything. To most, including Bill, it did - Dorea had hit her period. Joy.

~**"What's up Myrtle?" said Dorea, concerned.**

**"Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"**

**Dorea waded across to her cubicle and said in a hurt tone of voice, "Why would I throw something at you?"~**

Many glared at their feet; Dorea was just too good to be true. Nice to the ghosts and friends with them, famous, rich, powerful - but all that came with the downside of Voldemort wanting her to be his bride. Yeah, they'd take their normal lives over that any day.

~**"Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me ..."**

**"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Ron, reasonably. Dorea stared at him in shock for his lack of tact. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"~**

Everyone, especially the Weasley boys, face palmed. _Idiot!_

~**He had said the wrong thing. Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha ha ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"**

**"Who threw it at you, anyway?" asked Dorea, thinking on her feet before Myrtle decided to bath Ron in toilet water.~**

Ron pulled a face and nodded.

"Thanks, Rea." he said. Dorea just nodded at him, rubbing her stomach uncomfortably. Cramps were a real bitch...

~**"I don't know... I was just sitting on the U-bend, thinking about death, and it fell right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at them. "It's over there, it got washed out."**

**Dorea and Ron looked under the sink, where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom.**

**Dorea stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold her back.~**

Ginny and Arthur both nodded, as did Moody and the rest of the Aurors.

~**"What?" said Dorea.**

**"Are you mad?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous."**

**"Dangerous?" said Dorea, laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous? It's only a book!"**

**"You'd be surprised," said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated - Dad's told me - there was one that burned your eyes out.~**

Several muggleborns looked disgusted and horrified at the same time, Sirius and James shuddered, while a few purebloods who were still loyal to Voldemort's clause smirked, thinking that the victim had gotten what they deserved.

What they didn't know was that victim was Orion Black, Sirius' father.

~ **And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And -"**

**"All right, I've got the point," said Dorea, not wanting to know what happened to the next poor bloke.~**

"Smart." many nodded.

~**The little book lay on the floor, nondescript and soggy.**

**"Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," she said, and she ducked round Ron and picked it off the floor.~**

Lily groaned.

"Haven't you heard that curiosity killed the cat?" she asked. The misfits all grinned.

"But satisfaction brought it back~!" they all sang. Lily couldn't help but smile, she'd give them that one.

~**Dorea saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told her it was fifty years old.~**

"Take note of that." Dorea grumbled. Lily and James looked at her confused, while Bill looked thoughtful. Maybe it had a clue of some sort?

~**She opened it eagerly, ignoring the hum of her bracelet that told her that the diary was enchanted, but not dangerous. On the first page she could just make out the name "T. M. Riddle" in smudged ink.~**

Naomi looked up in shock. TM Riddle, as in the boy that had lived in the same orphanage as her near the end of the Grindelwald War?

**~"Hang on," said Ron, who had approached cautiously and was looking over Dorea's shoulder. "I know that name… T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."~**

"Same age as the diary, same age since the Chamber was last opened." Ron muttered, causing Susan's brains to whir as she began to figure out what was going on. Did this Riddle have something to do with the Chamber?

~**"How on earth d'you know that?" said Dorea in amazement.**

**"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too."~**

"Ewww." several of the girly girls squealed, causing those in the circle to roll their eyes, Dorea the most. Chang was one of the loudest there.

~**Dorea peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank.**

**There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even "Auntie Mabel's birthday"**, **or "dentist, half past three".~**

Moody looked confused.

"If it has absolutely no writing in it, why would someone flush it?" he asked, looking at Dorea. The girl's gaze darkened as she thought about what that diary truly was.

"Because it was something far, far more dangerous than a simple enchantment." she growled. Lily and James stared at her in shock, recognizing that look on her face from when she confronted the shard of Voldemort's soul that had been in her scar. Could it possibly be that that diary was the first horcrux that bastard had ever made?

~**"He never wrote in it," said Dorea, disappointed. That was a waste of time.**

**"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously, looking at the book over Dorea's shoulder.**

**Dorea turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a news agent's in Vauxhall Road, London.**

**"He must've been Muggle-born," said Dorea thoughtfully, "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road... "~**

"Or his parents were killed in the Grindelwald war and he was discovered by muggles." Naomi provided. "Or he had been stolen from his crib and sold in a child ring. It's happened before with magical children, specifically magical children of pureblood lines that are brought up and believe that they're muggleborns." Many prejudiced purebloods looked thoughtful at that, who knew how many muggleborns in this Hall had gone through something like that, where their parents had managed to hide them away before a Death Eater attack and were discovered by muggles, or they had been sold to the people who raised them by the child's nanny. It was quite possible that several muggleborns in this Hall had gone through that, and they would never know it unless they went to Gringotts and had an inheritance test done.

~**"Well, it's not much use to you," he said and dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose."~**

Everyone took the time to glare at Ron for that comment. That was rude and completely uncalled for.

~**Dorea, however, whacked Ron over the head with the soaked book and pocketed it.~**

Lily nodded and hugged her daughter, she was so happy that she took the time to whack people over the head with books just like she did, it made her feel closer to the daughter that she hadn't been there for because of that bastard Voldemort.

~**Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free, at the beginning of February.**

**On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Dorea showed her T. M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they found it.**

**"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.~**

"None of which were good." both Dorea and Ginny grumbled. Luna sent her friend an odd look, how had she come across that - Luna's eyes widened. Had _Ginny_ been the one to flush it? Thinking back, hadn't Ginny said something about forgetting her diary before the barrier of the Platform had been closed, and hadn't she complained about her cauldron being heavier in Flourish and Blotts, after Lucius Malfoy had grabbed her Transfiguration book? Wait, _Lucius Malfoy_? Luna sent the blond man a powerful glare that both Dorea and Moody noticed, each smiling. So the girl had figured out who had been the real mastermind behind the attacks, had she? Moody grunted - he had only figured it out the night before. He smiled slightly, Luna Lovegood would make an amazing detective.

~**"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Dorea. "I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either."**

**"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O's - or saved a teacher from the giant squid.~**

"Nah, the Grindeylow in the Black Lake are way more dangerous than Bob." Dorea waved it off. "And anyone who knows what they're doing can get rid of Grindeylows, easy." Those who competed in the TwiWizard Tournament couldn't help but "Ooooh" as Dorea's subtle insult towards Fleur, who was fuming. She knew that if she reacted then everyone would know that was why she had failed - last year they had only said that she had failed due to being attacked in the lake.

~**Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favor..."**~

Dorea threw a book at Ron, Hermione hit him upside the head, and Susan punched the ginger for the comment that had been completely uncalled for and half true, as Riddle _had_ murdered Myrtle.

~**As Dorea whacked Ron with one of Lockhart's books, she saw the arrested look on Hermione's face and knew that they were thinking the same thing.~**

"It's eerie when you two do that, if I didn't know any better I'd say you do it on purpose." Ron grumbled. Dorea and Hermione just shrugged.

"Great minds think alike." they said, though Dorea did glare at Hermione.

"And sometimes the one who knows the enemy the most is the one that is correct." she grumbled, then blinked. "Where the bloody hell did that come from?" she asked, looking around. There was a sudden flash of gold and the three strangers appeared, and judging by how the tallest one was scratching the back of his neck, they weren't here to tell Harry that he could return to his dimension.

"Ah, yes, I think we forgot to mention something when we sent the books here..." said the shorter man and the woman took over.

"What these two numbskulls forgot to mention, even though they were the ones that were supposed to bring it up, is that as you continue to read the stories, unless the people in these books from our dimension come here to read with you, then you'll occasionally channel our Dorea or our Hermione to get a point across." she said. "Oh, and that we're keeping an eye on the readings from our dimension since we haven't exactly fixed the time-space continuum. So there may be some surprise guests that appear, though we doubt that will happen any time soon." she added, feeling slightly as though she was jinxing herself. Hopefully I'm not, and that no one comes... she thought as the three once again flashed out in another blast of gold, vanishing into thin air. Dorea pouted.

"Ok, I have totally got to learn how to do that! It looks way cooler than Apparating!" she said, James and Lily nodding in agreement as they all pouted together. Sirius and Remus exchanged exasperated looks - leave it to a Potter to want to do something because it looks cool.

~**"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.**

**"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" she said. "That's what Malfoy said."**

**"Yeah..." said Ron slowly.**

**"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.**

**"So?"**

**"Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione.~**

Many laughed at how Hermione sounded; Molly made a small cooing noise. Ron and Hermione were obviously meant to be together, they fit each other so well, unlike Hermione and George and that Susan girl and her precious Ronnie.

~**"We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the heir of Slytherin?"~**

Those who knew who the Heir of Slytherin really was during this year all snorted. More like he framed the first person he could find so that he could keep learning magic.

~**But Dorea could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what she was thinking. His diary would probably tell us everything: where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it. If they could figure out how it works.**

**"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "With just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary." Dorea rolled her eyes.**

**"That's why we need to figure out how it works, Ron." she said, more than just a little annoyed.**

**Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag.**

**"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.**

**She tapped the diary three times and said, "Aparecium!"**

**Nothing happened.**

**Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.**

**"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said.~**

"Wait, why would you buy that if you don't need it?" Sierra asked in confusion. Hermione flushed.

"It looked interesting... And it might be useful later on..." she muttered. Truthfully, she had just bought it because it was interesting to think about.

~**Dorea gave her friend an odd look as she rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.**

**"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered with filling it in.**

**"That still doesn't explain why someone was trying to flush it, Ron." Dorea pointed out. "Maybe it's enchanted or something?" she asked. Ron thought for a moment and nodded.**

**"I remember my great-aunt Muriel telling me and my siblings stories about how in the forties there was a brand of diaries that were enchanted to write back to orphaned children, you know, because of the war that had happened they needed something to comfort them. Maybe it was something like that and the person just didn't want it anymore and thought that flushing it would get rid of it?" he asked. Dorea nodded, that did make sense.~**

Both Arthur and Molly looked at Ron and Ginny with shock. They hadn't realized that Muriel had told them stories about enchanted objects in the past, so _that_ was why Ginny didn't think anything odd about a diary that was clearly old and used that wrote back. She thought it was a harmless item that was designed to aid traumatized children - after all, the time span did fit.

~**Even so, Dorea couldn't explain it, even to herself, as to why she didn't just throw Riddle's diary away.~**

"They sensed the connection and didn't want to part..." Dorea muttered to James, who nodded in agreement. That was a very valid theory.

~**The fact was that even though she knew the diary was blank, she kept absent-mindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it was a story she wanted to finish. And while Harry was sure she had never sheard the name T. M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to her, almost as though Riddle was a friend she'd had when she was very small, and half-forgotten.~**

All those who knew about the Horcruxes shuddered, that didn't sound good in the slightest.

~**But that was absurd. She'd only ever had a handful of friends before Hogwarts, Dudley had made sure about that.~**

Dudley winced, not from the pain, but from his past actions, and made a mental note to apologize to Dorea later for how he acted as a kid.

~**Nevertheless, Dorea was determined to find out more about Riddle, so, next day at break, she headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award, accompanied by an interested Hermione and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of that trophy room to last him a lifetime.~**

The two girls chuckled, Ron refused to go in there even now, the only exception being to look at James' Quidditch trophy, as it was something that connected Dorea to her father. Neither of the other two thirds of the Golden Trio knew it, but Dorea would sometimes talk to that trophy as though it were his grave, seeing as how she didn't know where her parents were buried.

~**Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron).~**

Everyone chuckled; it was a good source of comedic relief.

~**However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys.**

**"He sounds like Percy,"~**

"I take that back," Ron said, his face a pale green at the thought of Percy being anything like Voldemort. "A thousand times over,_ I take that back_."

Percy, on the other hand, just looked confused. What was so bad about Riddle, hadn't he saved the school when the Chamber - wait... He had been at school during the first attacks... All three of the Golden Trio reacted badly to the mention of him, and Ginny had paled at the mention of a diary...

Could it be... Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin? No, no, perhaps he had just been mistaken... Or had framed someone else so as to keep the school open... Yes, that had to be it...

He hoped.

~**said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy - probably top of every class."**

**"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione, in a slightly hurt voice.~**

"Hey, I was too, you know!" Bill scowled, glaring slightly at Ron. The youngest Weasley boy flinched - he had forgotten about his oldest brother at that time.

~**The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and sensitive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.**

**"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for re-potting again," Dorea heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them.~**

McGonagall shook her head. And they wondered how nothing stayed a secret - there were students listening in on all of their conversations!

~**You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."~**

All the students scrunched their noses at the idea, Filch would be much more tolerable, but then Mrs. Norris would be back in the halls...

That was a lose-lose situation.

~**Perhaps the heir of Slytherin had lost his nerve, thought Dorea.~**

"Or I just had the key to the Chamber." Dorea muttered so that no one could hear her.

~**It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious. Perhaps the monster, whatever it was, was even now settling itself down to hibernate for another fifty years...~**

"No one suspected where the entrance was, even though it was at the scene of where the girl was murdered last time." Ron said cryptically, causing many to look at him oddly while Dumbledore's jaw dropped. A _bathroom_? Salazar Slytherin put the entrance to his Chamber in a _girl's bathroom_?

Talk about a loli-complex.

~**Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view. He was still convinced that Dorea was the guilty one, that she had "given herself away" at the Dueling Club. This had all but made him the main target of pranks by either the Twins or Dorea, Ron, and Hermione.~**

The rejected Hufflepuff glared at those mentioned, all of whom smiled and waved happily. There was nothing he could do to match their genius.

~**Peeves wasn't really helping with everything that was going on; despite it being entertaining to those who knew of Dorea's innocence, he kept popping up in crowded corridors singing "Oh Potter, you rotter..." now with a dance-routine that Dorea had helped him create to match.~**

Everyone facepalmed, they thought Dorea had been joking before when she said that she had helped him with the dance routine - turns out that she had been telling the truth.

~**Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think that he himself had made the attacks stop.~**

All the teachers slammed their face against the table in front of them and groaned, much to the shock of the few that were still pro-Lockhart. They had gotten the chance to work alongside such an amazing man, they shouldn't be acting this way!

~**Dorea overheard him telling an extremely annoyed Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up to attend Transfiguration.~**

McGonagall nodded - extremely annoyed pretty much summed up how she felt about Lockhart for most of that year.

~**"I think that the Chamber as been locked for good this time.~**

Dorea snorted - as long as there was someone who could speak Parseltongue, there would be no way for the Chamber to remain locked if it were found. That was one of the perks and downsides to the inherited language - people like Riddle had been able to use what was supposed to be the ultimate defence as a weapon against the students of this very school.

~**The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught them. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on them.~**

"What would he do, perfume them to death?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes. Fabian laughed at the comment and continued reading as Lily and Dorea fist bumped - while they may act more like good friends than mother and daughter, it was only because they hadn't been able to spend time together to build the mother-daughter bonds when Dorea was still young. The two had their moments when they acted like someone would think a mother and daughter would around each other, but other than that, Lily acted more like one of the misfits - specifically more like Michaela and Dorea.

~**You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster.~**

"No, no we didn't!" all the boys and Dorea groaned, having been the only one of the girls that had felt sick with how the Valentine's Day decorations had been set up.

~**Wash away the memories of last term!~**

"Did that include the lessons as well?" Flitwick asked dryly. Several people looked at him oddly.

"Sir, we were beggin' Madam Pomfrey to perform some sort of memory magic on us to make up forget what that Hall looked like." a sixth-year Slytherin said. "She kept saying no, so most of us just kept banging our heads against walls until the image was erased from our memories." All the professors and Madam Pomfrey nodded - that would certainly explain why there was large-range memory loss that week.

~**He tapped his nose again and strode off, wisely avoiding Dorea.**

**Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth.~**

Suddenly, all those who hadn't been at school that year looked sick. It appeared that had gotten to know Lockhart well enough to know what his plan would turn out to be.

~**Dorea hadn't had much sleep because of a late-running Quidditch practice the night before, as well as a migraine that had forced her to go to the Hospital Wing to get a pain-relieving potion from Madam Pomfrey,~**

Michaela and Dorea both winced at the mention; they both suffered from chronic headaches and almost constantly had that pain in their heads. They had long since gotten used to it, but every once in a while it acted up in the form of a migraine so had that they had to actually go to get strong medicine to counter the pain.

~**and she hurried down to the Great Hall slightly late. She thought, for a moment, that she'd walked through the wrong doors before she realized that she was, in fact, in the Great Hall.**

**The walls were covered in large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, was the heart-shaped confetti that was falling from the pale blue morning-sky ceiling.~**

Those who hadn't seen it looked disgusted, those who had seen it and didn't like it retched, and those who had seen it and didn't mind it or like how it looked didn't do anything.

~**Dorea went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ron was sitting down looking sickened, and Hermione seemed to have come over with a terrible fit of giggles.~**

**"What's going on?" Dorea asked them, sitting down and wiping confetti off of her bacon.~**

Many looked disgusted at the mention, even those who hadn't minded the confetti scrunched their noses. It had been a pain eating around the confetti that fell into their food.

~**Ron slowly pointed to the teachers' table, clearly too disgusted to properly speak.~**

Ron smirked and nodded.

~**Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence.~**

All the men winced - real men do not wear lurid pink robes! Not even Dumbledore wore lurid pink robes, and he was wearing silver and gold robes today!

~**The teachers on either side of him were looking rather stony-faced. From where she sat, Dorea could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just force-fed him a large bottle of Skele-Grow.~**

The teachers shuddered - that pretty much summed up how all of them had felt that day.

~**"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"~**

"Oh God, how much worse can it get?" Dan asked in horror.

~**Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them wearing golden wings and carrying harps.~**

Cat burst out laughing.

"H-He could have just hired Cupids! They're easily accessible in Japan and South Korea!" she pointed out. Many chuckled in agreement - that just really showed how little respect was paid to Lockhart in other parts of the world, that he didn't know that he could have hired actual Cupids.

~**"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart.~**

"Just a little tip - they aren't friendly. In the slightest." Dorea deadpanned, causing those around her to laugh at her misfortune while Bill's eye twitched in jealousy. Who sent Dorea the Valentine?

~**"They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!~**

Suddenly everyone who hadn't been there looked at the book as though it had transformed into Dorea on its own.

"Does that idiot have a death wish?" Nicholas asked, staring at the book in shock. Fabian shugged.

"Nah, he's probably too thick skulled to realize that they were all planning him murder and how to get away with it." he shrugged, and continued reading.

~**And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"**

**Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.~**

Snape couldn't help but nod, that sounded about right in his perspective.

~**"**_**Please**_**, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron, as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her timetable and didn't answer. Dorea sent her friend a disgusted look for still supporting that fraud and began to walk slightly ahead of her.~**

Hermione flushed bright red, she hadn't noticed that, Dorea was always a fast walker so she didn't realize that it had been on purpose...

~**All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver Valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon, as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for charms, one of them caught up with a rushing Dorea.~**

"Why were you rushing?" Daphne asked. Dorea's gaze darkened.

"I was the last person to get a Valentine, those buggers had been looking for me all day." she grumbled, causing those who remembered the Valentine to start laughing at the memory of that horrible poem.

**~"Oy, you! 'Rea Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Dorea.~**

Those who had been elbowed glared at the book.

~**Hot all over at the thought of being given a Valentine in front of a queue of first-years, which happened to include Ginny Weasley, Dorea tried to escape.~**

"Key word -" Ron started.

"- _Tried_." Hermione finished, Dorea nodding in agreement with a sour look on her face.

**~The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins,~**

More people glared at the book.

~**and reached her before she'd gone two paces.~**

Those who knew how fast Dorea could be when she wanted to be whistled in appreciation, that was one fast dwarf.

**~"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Rea Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.~**

Dan looked over at Dorea.

"Threatening? How is that threatening?" he asked. Dorea's sour look grew even worse.

"_Je ne sais pas comment, mais il était. Le petit tabarnak..._" Dorea cursed, causing Michaela, Elront, and Monsieur Delacour to both laugh while Madam Delacour and Galandriel simply shook their heads at the language. (Translation: I don't know how, but he was. The little tarbanak... [Tabarnak = French curse])

~**"Not here," Dorea hissed, trying to escape.**

**"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Dorea's bag and pulling her back.**

**"Let me go!" Dorea snarled, tugging.**

**With a loud ripping noise, her bag split in two. Her books, wand, parchment and quill spilled onto the floor and her ink bottles smashed over the lot.~**

Everyone winced in sympathy, that would be horrible to have to clean up.

~**Dorea scrambled around trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a hold-up in the corridor.**

**"What's going on here?" came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.**

**Dorea started stuffing everything feverishly into her ripped bag, desperate to get away before Malfoy could hear her musical Valentine.~**

"Smart, but it didn't work." Theo said from his seat next to Ginny. Molly sent the brunet a glare that had Daphne raising her one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows - why was it that Molly didn't seem to like anyone that her children wanted to be with?

~**"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice, as Percy Weasley arrived.**

**Losing her head, Dorea desperately tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized her around the knees and brought her crashing to the floor.~**

Lily and James both winced, that had to have hurt.

~**"Right," he said, sitting on Dorea's ankles. "Here is your singing Valentine:**

**Her eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,**

**Her hair is as dark as a blackboard.**

**I wish she was mine, she's really divine,**

**The heroine who conquered the Dark Lord~**

Once again people burst into laughter - Dean's, however, was aimed towards Seamus.

"Dude, poetry is not your thing!" he exclaimed, causing the Irishman's face to burn bright red as more people joined in the laughter.

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see you do any better!" he shouted, knowing he would regret it the moment he saw Bill's face. The redheaded man cleared his throat and said for all to hear:

_"Emerald eyes that shine brighter than any star,  
Raven hair softer than the finest of silk.  
More beautiful than Snow White, she's such a delight,  
My Dorea, my little angel."_

Dorea smiled and, turning in his lap, kissed Bill both sweetly and passionately at the exact same time. Seamus, on the other hand, pouted and began to sulk.

"Okay, I admit it, that was pretty damn smooth..." he grumbled as Dean laughed even harder.

Fabian continued.

~**Dorea**** would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot.~**

Dante snorted.

"Don't blame you for that." he said, and despite Lily's scolding, Dorea still flipped her half-nymph friend off.

~**Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else,~**

Malfoy scowled while Ginny and Percy nodded, she had done an excellent job at that.

~**she got up, her feet numb from the weight of the dwarf,~**

"Why? Was he heavy?" Luna asked airily, as though she already knew the answer. Dorea smiled and shook her head.

"Nah, just all his weight was focused on a small bit of my body - that makes anything feel really heavy." she pointed out, everyone nodding in agreement. It would.

~**as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd,~**

"Thanks for that, by the way." Dorea cut in. Percy nodded in her direction, he was beginning to remember what he saw in her from her first to fourth years - the shy, quiet girl that could be outgoing and more courageous than an entire army combined.

~**some of whom were crying with mirth. "Off you go, the bell rang five minute ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away. "And you, Malfoy -"~**

"- Stop touching Dorea's belongings and return them or I will go get a teacher." Percy finished his cut off sentence.

~**Dorea, glancing over, saw Malfoy, holding several of her belongings in his hand, stoop and snatch something else up. Leering, he showing it to Crabbe and Goyle, and Dorea realized that he's gotten Riddle's diary.**

**"Give that back," she said quietly.**

**"Wonder what Princess Potter's written in this?" said Malfoy, who obviously hadn't noticed the year or the name on the cover, and thought that he had Dorea's own diary. Dorea sneered.**

**"If you'd take the time to read, you'd see that isn't mine, dimwit." she snapped, causing Percy to start scolding her and Malfoy to distinctly scowl at the blatant insult. Many of the Slytherins behind him, on the other hand, were snickering into their palms as quietly as they could.**

**A hush fell over the rest of the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Dorea, looking terrified.~**

Charlie's eyes widened and his jaw, as well as Moody's and Bill's, dropped. Ginny had been in possession of the diary and had tried to flush it beforehand? But _why_, _how_, and _where _did she get it from?

~**"Hand those over right now, Malfoy. Hers or not, it's still her property." said Percy sternly, glaring at Malfoy.**

**"When I've had a look. It may not be hers, but that doesn't mean she hasn't written in it." said Malfoy, having recovered from Dorea's snap and waved the diary tauntingly at Dorea.~**

"Rule number one: Never, never never _never_, _ever_, taunt a Potter." Sirius said, well, seriously. "In battle, it will be the last damn thing you will ever do."

~**Percy said, "As a school Prefect -",~**

"- I will take you straight to Professor Snape as well as Professor McGonagall if you don't hand that over right now." Percy finished. Perenelle sent him an odd look.

"Why two professors?" she asked. Percy shrugged.

"McGonagall would make sure that he would receive proper punishment for attempting to steal Dorea's belongings." he said simply.

~**but Dorea had lost her temper.~**

"Nooo, I just lost my patience. Losing my temper and losing my patience are two very different things." Dorea said, everyone who had heard her losing her temper over the summer wincing and nodding in agreement. Dorea losing her patience and Dorea losing her temper were very, very, _very_ different things.

~**She pulled out her want and shouted, "Expelliarmus!", and just as Snape had disarmed Lockhart, so Malfoy fount the diary and all of Dorea's other belongings shooting out of his hand and into the air.~**

Moody whistled appreciatively.

"Was that the first time you used that charm?" he asked, curiously. Dorea nodded.

"It's my speciality, saved my life more than once." she said, blinking again and scowling. "That had better have been the channelling, because I only used it to save my life once." she mentioned. Everyone looked at each other, while Smith looked completely flabbergasted. How the hell had it saved Dorea Potter multiple times?!

~**Ron, grinning broadly, caught them.**

**"Dorea!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"**

**But Dorea didn't care, she'd got one over Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day.~**

Every student, including most of the Slytherins, in the Hall cheered. The few that didn't were either Malfoy's sycophants or the few remaining Death Eaters in training.

~**Malfoy was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!"~**

"Wrong person, not to mention wrong gender." Ginny snorted as Theo grabbed her hand. Molly glared at the action - no good Slytherin bastard was trying to steal her precious daughter!

~**Ginny sent Malfoy a confused and puzzled look as she continued to walk into her class. Snarling at the obvious insult, Ron pulled out his wand too, but Dorea pulled him away. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching more slugs.~**

Hermione and Ron openly laughed, they had wondered why Dorea had pulled Ron away, seeing as how she had never explained that bit to them.

~**It wasn't until they had reached Professor Flitwick's class that Dorea noticed something rather odd about Riddle's diary. All of her other books had been drenched in her scarlet ink, however, the diary was as clean as it bad been before the ink bottle had smashed all over it.~**

There was no hiding the confusion on everyone's faces, even Lucius was confused. All he had known was that the diary was important to his Lord and that it could attack the school from within. He had never known what it truly was; his master had never told him that.

~**She tried to point this out to Ron, but Ron was having trouble with his wand again; large purple bubbles were blossoming out of the end, and he wasn't much interested in anything else. Hermione, on the other hand, was too busy focusing on the lesson to pay attention to what Dorea had to say.~**

Hermione flushed as Ron chuckled, at least he had a reasonable excuse as to why he hadn't paid attention, unlike a certain intelligent, brunette witch that everyone knew.

~**Dorea went to bed before anyone else in her dormitory that night. This was partly because she didn't think she could possibly stand Fred and George singing "Her eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad", on more time, and partly because she wanted to examine Riddle's diary once more, and knew that Hermione and Ron both thought that she was wasting her time.~**

Dorea let out a sarcastic laugh, she had learned more in those few minutes in the Diary than she had learned from all her professors the entire year. And they thought it was a waste of time.

~**Dorea sat on her four-poster bed and quickly flicked through the pages, searching them for ink that not one of them had a single trace of. She then pulled out a new bottle that she had ordered a few days ago on her bedside cabinet, dipped her quill into it, and dropped a blot on the first page of the diary.~**

Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley all smirked and nodded. She definitely knew how to safely test that.

~**The ink shone brightly on the page for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Excited, Dorea loaded up her quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Dorea Potter."~**

"Before anyone complains, it would have known who I was anyway, no one else is currently named Dorea." the ravenette pointed out before Moody or any of the other Aurors could say anything. She did have an excellent point there, as long as the person who had the diary prior to her wrote about her in it, the diary would have known who she was.

~**The words shone momentarily on the page and they too sank without trace. Then, at last, something happened.**

**Oozing back out of the page, in her very own ink, came words Dorea had never written.**

_**"Hello, Dorea Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my Diary?"**_

"Wait," James began. Dorea looked at him. "You didn't find this strange in the slightest? Even if it was enchanted to talk back, the enchantment should have worn off - unless it hadn't even been opened before, but in the condition that it was in, it shouldn't be working." he pointed out. Dorea shrugged.

"12 and 11 year olds wouldn't think like that, dad." she responded. Eyes widened as people paled - what did she mean 11 year olds? Had the person who had it before only been a first year at the time? Moody, on the other hand, had his magical eye focused on Ginny. The diary she had freaked out about, her cauldron being too heavy once Lucius threw her Transfiguration book back, her only acting odd during the school year - could she have possibly been possessed by that diary? But how? What kind of enchantments had been on it to do that?

~**"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet."~**

Suddenly Dorea began to snicker and, whispering something to her parents, both Lily and James joined in.

They were snickering at the idea of Voldemort discovering that someone tried to flush a piece of his soul down a toilet - they would _pay_ to see the face he would make then! Quite happily pay, at that!

~**She waited eagerly for Riddle's reply.**

_**"Lucky for myself that I recorded my memories in something far more lasting than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary to be read, thinking that secrets of the past should remain secrets."**_

Dumbledore frowned and leaned forward, what did Riddle mean by that?

~**"What do you mean?" Dorea scrawled, slightly blotting the page in her excitement.~**

Dumbledore blinked. Well, great minds did think alike.

~_**"I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. This which had been covered up. Things that would destroy certain people. Things which happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."**_

**"That's where I am now." Dorea wrote quickly. "I'm at Hogwarts, and terrible stuff has been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets? Anything at all?"~**

The Aurors nodded, direct yet a little subtle. Very eloquent.

~**Her heart was hammering. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew.**

_**"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth.**_

Dorea snorted without any humour. That hadn't been the truth, the bastard framed the least likely person.

~_**A story was given that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."**_

"But if he captured the real person, then the culprit would be incapable of doing so much as entering the grounds, meaning that they wouldn't be able to attack anyone anymore." Hermione pointed out quickly, causing Hagrid to pale. Did the Trio know why he had been expelled?

~**Dorea nearly upset her ink bottle in her hurry to write back.**

**"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"**

_**"I can show you if you like,"**_** came Riddle's reply. **_**"You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."**_

Dorea scowled darkly.

"More like framed him." she snarled under her breath, freezing when she felt Bill, her mother, and her father tense up. Shit. They had heard that. Bill leaned over and whispered in Dorea's ear:

"We'll be talking about this later, sweetie. Got it?" he asked. Dorea nodded quietly and Bill leaned back in his seat, holding Dorea close to his chest. Lily and James looked at each other - they knew that Voldemort's name was Tom Riddle, but that name was extremely common in the muggle world, especially in the 1940's! They had no idea that TM Riddle's diary was Voldemort's as well!

~**Dorea hesitated, her quill suspended in mid air over the diary. What did Riddle mean he could show her? How could she possibly be taken into someone else's diary? Something fishy was going on, and she didn't like it one bit.~**

Moody nodded, if she was suspicious then that meant she would be more careful.

~**She glanced nervously at the door to the dormitory, which was growing dark. Someone could enter at any time. When she looked back at the diary, she saw fresh words forming.**

_**"Let me show you."**_

"He's really pushy." Cat frowned. Like book-Dorea said, something was off, and she didn't like it one bit.

~**Dorea paused for a fraction of a second and then wrote two letters.**

**"OK."**

**The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. Mouth hanging open, Dorea saw that the little square for June the thirteenth seemed to have turned into a minuscule television screen.~**

"That's the muggle version of a technovision, also the original design." Michaela supplied for the purebloods, whom had recently had technovisions installed in each of their common rooms. They had been extremely interested in how it also supplied images to go with the sound, unlike the WWR.

~**Her hands trembling slightly, she raised the book to press his eye against the little window, and before she knew what was happening, she was tilting forwards; the window was widening, she felt her body leave her bed and she was pitched head first through the opening in the page, into a whirl of colour and shadow.~**

"Wait, so it's like a pensieve?" Naomi asked, Michaela slightly wincing at the sound. Because she was only half High Elf and Naomi was only half Siren, it made it much easier for her to deal with the noise that came with her voice when she spoke, but it still affected her at rare moments. Dorea thought for a moment and nodded.

"That's the best way to describe it, actually. Like diving headfirst into a pensieve." she agreed. Fabian nodded, making sense of it.

~**She felt her feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as blurred shapes around her suddenly came into focus.**

**She knew immediately where she was. This circular room with the sleeping portraits was Dumbledore's office - but it wasn't Dumbledore sitting behind the desk. Rather, it was someone that Dorea recognized from one of the portraits on Dumbledore's wall.~**

Dumbledore and McGonagall, both having been at the school either as a student or as a professor when Dippet ran Hogwarts, nodded. It would most certainly have been when Dippet had been Headmaster.

~**A wizened, frail-looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter be candlelight. **

**"I'm sorry," she said shakily, "I didn't mean to butt in..."**

**But the wizard didn't look up. He continued to read, frowning slightly.**

**Dorea drew nearer to his desk and stammered, "Er - I'll just go, shall I?"**

**Still the wizard ignored her. He didn't seem to have heard her. What was going on?~**

Ron shrugged.

"Before any of you laugh, she had never even heard of a pensieve before, and she was cast face first into this memory. So yeah, she's more than just a little confused." he defended, having seen the mocking look on Parkinson's face. The pug-like girl scowled, that had just ruined her chances at holding something over Dorea.

~**Thinking that the wizard might be deaf, Dorea raised her voice.**

**"Sorry I disturbed you, I'll go now," she half-shouted.**

**The wizard folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Dorea without glancing at her and went to draw the curtains at his window.**

**The sky outside the window was ruby red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door. Dorea looked confused - had she walked in when a meeting was supposed to take place?~**

Dumbledore nodded, Dippet must have arranged to meet with Riddle, that's the only reason that Dorea could be there for.

~**Dorea looked round the office. No Fawkes the phoenix- no whirring silver contraptions. This was Hogwarts as Riddle had known it, meaning that this unknown wizard was the Headmaster, not Dumbledore, and she, Dorea, must be little more than a phantom, completely invisible to the people of fifty years ago.~**

Everyone who knew of pensieves smiled and nodded, Dorea caught on quickly, and in most cases, that was an excellent thing. Especially in these sorts of circumstances.

~**There was a knock on the office door.**

**"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.**

**A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Dorea, but he, too, had jet-black hair.**

**"Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster.**

**"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.~**

Dorea's eyes narrowed. He had been nervous that he hadn't covered his trail well enough and had been caught. Unfortunately, being the organized sociopath and megalomaniac that he was, he had gotten away with it.

~**"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."**

**"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly.**

**"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"**

**"No," said Riddle at once, "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that - to that-"**

**"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.**

**"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.**

**"You are Muggle-born?"**

**"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."~**

James shook his head, that poor woman fell in love with who she thought to be a kind man, only to discover that her husband was no better than her father and her brother combined.

~**"And are both your parents -?"**

**"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me: Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."~**

Daphne's eyes narrowed. His mother must have been a pureblood, to have a grandfather named Marvolo. It was a very traditional name, especially on the Darker side.

**~Dippet clicked his tongue sympathetically."The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances..."**

**"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle. Dorea's heart leapt, and she moved closer, scared of missing anything important.~**

Ron and Hermione chuckled while the Misfits just laughed, that was just like Dorea to do something like that.

~**"Precisely." said the Headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy... the death of that poor little girl... You will be safer by far at your orphanage.~**

Naomie shuddered, if the stories of what Riddle had gone through were anything like reality, then even with the monster he was far, far safer at Hogwarts than at the orphanage.

~**As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the - er - source of all this unpleasantness ..."**

**"Oh... yeah." But his eyes shifted from side to side as though disappointed in a strange way. Riddle's eyes widened."Sir - if the person was caught... If it all stopped..."**

**"What do you mean?" said Dippet, with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"**

**"No, sir," said Riddle quickly. But Dorea was sure it was the same kind of 'no' that she herself had given Dumbledore.~**

"Being his flip side of the coin means that no matter how much the two of you are similar, you will always be enemies and will be the only ones that can truly face each other knowing what the other will do." Luna said wisely. Dorea smiled and nodded thankfully, thinking about it. During the time that Riddle was in that orphanage, the Church had a huge role in daily life. If someone were to be unusual in the eyes of the Church, such as herself or Riddle would be, then they would be mistreated and - dare she say it - abused to make them become what the priest decides is "normal". It was the same thing that Cat went through - her mother and father were devoutly Christian, and hated anything that wasn't written down in the Bible as right. As such, when they had discovered that their daughter was different (Dorea was still trying to figure out what her friend was), they had tried to do everything in their power to "have the demons cast out of her to bring back the daughter that once was", direct quote from Cat's mother. Essentially, she was everything that Riddle could have been, and Riddle was what could have happened to her.

~**Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.**

**"You may go, Tom..."**

**Riddle slid off his chair and stumped out of the room. Harry followed him.**

**Down the moving spiral staircase they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkening corridor. Riddle stopped dead, ****and so did Dorea, watching him. Dorea could tell that Riddle was doing some serious thinking. He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed.**

**Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision, he hurried off, Dorea gliding noiselessly behind him. They didn't see another person until they reached the Entrance Hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.~**

Dumbledore couldn't help but smile, so this was where he came into play.

~**"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"**

**Dorea gaped at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty-year-younger Dumbledore.~**

"Professor," Luna asked, looking up at the elderly Headmaster. Dumbledore nodded, telling her to ask the question. "This was around the time of the defeat Grindelwald, was it not?" she inquired. Dumbledore nodded, he had been teaching Transfiguration at that time - in fact, Minerva had been in one of his final classes before he was promoted to Headmaster.

~**"I had to see the Headmaster, sir," said Riddle.**

**"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Dorea knew so well, only this one was... **_**Colder**_**. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since..."**

**He sighed heavily, bade Riddle goodnight and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with Dorea in hot pursuit.**

**But to Dorea's disappointment, Riddle led her not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but the very dudgeon in which Dorea had Potions with Snape.~**

Dorea thought back to that stare for a moment, frozen in time at the thought of that look. Had Dumbledore known then that Riddle was a murderer? Had he known that Riddle was the Heir, but he just couldn't prove it? Was that the reason for the stare, because he knew Riddle so well but he was frustrated with how evil he had quickly become?

~**The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Dorea could only just see Riddle, standing stock-still by the door, watching the passage outside.**

**It felt to Dorea that they were there for at least an hour. All she could see was the figure of Riddle at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue. And just when Dorea had stopped feeling expectant and tense, and started wishing she could return to the present, she heard something move beyond the door.**

**Someone was creeping along the passage. She heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where she and Riddle were hidden. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, Dorea tiptoeing behind him, forgetting that she couldn't be heard.**

**For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises.**

**Dorea heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.**

**"C'mon... Gotta get yeh outta here... C'mon now... In the box..."~**

Hagrid's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. No, no! This couldn't be how she found out... Could it have been?

~**There was something familiar about that voice.**

**Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Dorea stepped out from behind him.**

**She could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.**

**"Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply.~**

"_No_." Lily breathed, her hands covering her mouth in shock. "But - Hagrid was _innocent_!" Dorea scowled and glared icily at the book unknowingly causing Fabian to shiver.

"He didn't care." she snarled quietly, all but confirming Bill's thoughts that Tom Marvolo Riddle was Lord Voldemort.

~**The boy slammed the box shut and stood up.**

**"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"**

**Riddle stepped closer.**

**"It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."~**

"You've got the wrong man..." a Gryffindor whispered, her eyes filled with tears. Hagrid would never let any of his monsters attack anyone innocent, ever!

~**"What d'yeh-"**

**"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-"**

**"It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Dorea could hear a funny rustling and clicking, and got a horrible feeling from the box alone.~**

Ron shuddered violently, knowing exactly what was in that box.

Stupid Acromantula.

~**"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the think that killed their daughter is slaughtered..."**

**"It wasn' him!" roared the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"~**

Dorea rolled her eyes - Aragog might not, but his children had no reservations on murder and eating humans.

~**"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand.**

**His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind the large boy flew open with such a force it knocked him into the wall opposite. And out of it came something that made Dorea let out a long, piercing scream no one but she seemed to hear. Michaela might be the one in her group of friends in Surrey with arachnophobia, but that... A vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers -~**

Michaela let out a very feminine scream and began to swat at the imaginary spiders crawling on her body, shaking and shivering out of pure fear. Charlie wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, whispering soothing words in her ears. As Michaela began to calm, Elront was busy fanning a fainted Galandriel - why the hell was Hagrid breeding an ACROMANTULA of all things? They were an XXXXX rated dangerous creature, one that not even High Elves dared to attempt to breed!

Once Michaela had finally calmed down, Fabian continued with the reading, wanting to finish this chapter as soon as possible.

~**Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late.**

**The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leapt on him, seized his wand and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOOO!"**

**The scene whirled, the darkness became complete, Dorea felt herself falling and, with a crash, she landed spread-eagled on her four-poster in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary lying open on her stomach.**

**Before she had time to regain her breath, the dormitory door opened and Hermione came in.**

**"There you are," she said.**

**Dorea sat up. She was sweating and shaking.**

**"Dorea? What's wrong?" she asked, looking at her with concern.**

**"I-It's impossible, Hermione, but... It was Hagrid, Hermione. Hagrid was expelled for the opening of the Chamber fifty years ago."~**

Placing the marker at the end of the chapter, Fabian looked around.

"That's the chapter, who wants to read next?" he asked, looking for the next volunteer.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**bloomnskyrules: Thank you! The match was a pain to write, so I'm happy that you enjoyed it so much! Heh, yeah, it was, wasn't it! ... I mentioned it in one of the earlier chapters... Why thank you~ And it might~ Pfft, try never. No, since Muriel is the eldest Prewett she would have to be the one to disown them. Well, since Bill will be taking the Potter name, that makes Charlie the Weasley Heir and Percy the Prewett Heir. And yes, Dorea and Bill share a room - I'm thinking about having them discover that in the next interlude :)**

**griffindork93: Why thank you, I tried really hard to write a good pep talk :) No, she won't be going pro, and I'm thinking about having something else show up in the Prophet~ ;) Heh, that's gonna be a LOT of fun to write - might have it take place in the fourth book, you know, so we get rid of her quickly XD And no, no mention of the Malfoys, because they're just a Noble line. George and Hermione are getting pretty close, Ron and Susan are getting there - they might take longer because of how dense Ron really is - and as for Sierra and Neville and Naomi and Dan, I'm getting there with them. Sierra and Neville will definitely get together first, then Naomi and Dan, and as for Theo and Ginny, somewhere in between those two couples getting together for them. Sound good?**

**Anime Princess: Before anything else, I LOVE THAT USERNAME! :D Now, as for the response: He'll become Lord Potter, Charlie will be Heir Weasley, and Percy will be Heir Prewett - for some time, if I go through with something that I'm planning :) But no spoilers~ so it really sucks to be you :P**

**917brat: Haven't heard from you in a while, have I? I was already planning on something along those lines, maybe have the basilisk say something that makes Dorea pity it and regret what she has to do, since she really does love animals and all, especially snakes since she can talk to them.**

**NaomiTheWingedSerpent****: Yes, yes I am, and I never thought that I'd actually meet - er, write to - someone that admits to loving to read these things :) Yeah, I find that from what I see in my day-to-day life, teenage girls are generally more humorous and outspoken when it comes to their opinions. How did I figure out the pairing...? Read a few Harry/Bill stories and fell in love with the pairings. My top three HP ones are Barry, Charry, and Drarry - Harry/Bill, Harry/Charlie, and Harry/Draco. ... Blonde...? I remember I read the first chapter of one story where she had recessive Veela genetics that became dominant after femHarry's 13th birthday and that's why she became blonde, but I didn't really like the way that story was going... Yeah, he is :) I love Bill's character, the loving and fair big brother that cares for everyone. He might go, I'm not sure - I was thinking about a serious plot twist for the seventh book, but now I'm not so sure that I want to write it anymore... And yeah, with the combined backing of Bill, her parents, her friends, and her future brother-in-laws, Dorea will become much more open and confident as the books proceed :) Heh, well, I'm only showing what I read in the books, which was both being serious hypocrites that really needed wake up calls. I mean, she went so far as to suggest that Sirius only cared for Harry because he looks like his father! What kind of woman does that?! And pretty much you've hit the nail on the head as to why I hate Snape - yes, I respect what he did for the Light side in the end, but that doesn't excuse his behavior towards Harry for the entire length of the books! I mean, seriously, Snape was no more mature than James was when he bullied Snape! Another reason why I hate the Malfoy men - yes, they are loyal to their family, but ONLY to their family. They could care less about anyone else, the only reason they still served Voldemort in the end was because he could murder Narcissa and other members of their family at any time. And that part bothered me too - yes, they could be considered "pureblood" because they have a longer line of magic, but magic cannot be created nor can it be destroyed, magic is a gift that is given to a select few. I planned on doing that just because of a plot twist for the actual story that I have planned for near the end of the sixth book - and no, because Smith is an idiot that I plan to have killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. And don't worry; I will be in the next few chapters - especially when they all discover that Dorea was bitten by the basilisk. Once they get to the third book Cedric will be joining the Circle, so don't worry about that. I'm trying to make my OCs like the real people, with multiple layers to them and different faces and everything. As for Dan - his aunt and uncles don't really care because he's half muggle, have Squib, and his parents can't really do anything about it because they don't have the magic to reverse anything that happens to him, so he holds a bit of a grudge against his family for that. Blaise will discover that Dante is half water nymph soon, and I'll explain why it's so rare for something like that to happen when he does discover it. Yes, Sierra is half veela. Her relationship is somewhat good, only because her mother never really saw what her brother did to her all through her childhood. Her allure it blocked by her ability as the 10th generation of Irish Veela to block out her own and other Veela's auras, which is why Fleur's didn't work all through the readings. She's being paired up with Neville - I think that pairing will compliment the two of them nicely :) Yes, Cat is a neko, or in the eyes or her parents, a Cat Demon. Her siblings will not be coming, but she will earn the support of those in the Circle, no matter what House they're from. I love Luna because she's truly loyal no matter what anyone says and is extremely intelligent. She can't see far into the future, but she can see within a century into the past. The only reason she can't see far into the future is because she can only see possibilities, for example, she could see what would happen if Dorea had told someone what Umbridge had been doing to her during her detentions from the beginning. As for why most people didn't recognize her - she's a weak witch that stays in the shadows and does her best to blend in as much as possible without flaunting her Necromancy or her Siren abilities. The reason I put her in Riddle's orphanage was because it would bring her more into the stories, especially when she discovers that Riddle is really Voldemort. Naomi does have the Siren's voice and wings, but her hoodie is enchanted to keep it hidden as long as the hood is up and she's wearing it. She can summon ghosts, demons, and angels, and she just needs a drop of her blood to call them. Galandriel and Elront will only talk to her when she's comfortable, because they realize just how major it is to reveal that someone has a magical heritage. Who am I kidding, I made myself cry then! I love the ghosts and I hate how people underestimate them so much, and McGonagall, while a great Head of House towards older students, doesn't really seem to understand her first and second years that well, and that really annoys me. Don't get me wrong, I love Dumbledore, but I also love the manipulative side of him too, because it is just so much fun to write about :) And I hope this update made you happy!**

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 15,284**

**Well, as repayment for the long wait, LONG CHAPTER~! :D Hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Review Count: 1,735**

***whistles* Wow, lots of reviews! We're quickly getting to the 2000 review mark people, and since I know you can all hit it, REVIEW GOAL TIME~! *throws confetti***

**Review Goal: 1,800**

**Not as much as last time, but only because I hope to update soon!**

**Oh, and before I forget to mention this, I may not update next week because from Friday to Sunday I'll be in Chicago to celebrate my birthday, which takes place on the 29th~! So, as my birthday present to all of you, THAT IS MY GOAL DATE TO UPDATE :D**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW MEIN AWESOME REVIEWERS! *Gilbird flies around head* Oh look, Prussia's here to visit Canada and to get some pancakes. Time to watch some PruCan action~ ;)**

**Time of update: 1:15 am =.= You're all lucky I love you guys enough to skip sleep!**


	38. Book 2: Chapter 14

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC, TheoxGinny~!**

**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I AM SO SO **_**SO**__**SOOO**_** SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE GUYS! With the mixture of ISU's being worked on and due, and exams starting on the 20th, I haven't really had the time to work on the chapter! AS CONSOLIDATION TO YOU ALL, FREE DOREA AND BILL PLUSHIES FOR EVERYONE! *throws plushies at readers* ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES!**

**Guys, I officially have the BEST FRIEND EVER in Dan Burns! For my birthday, he got me Season 4 of Hetalia World Series! And in the case was a freaking HETALIA FLAG! :D Dan, you are more awesome than Prussia could ever be and this chapter is dedicated to you!**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

Fabian looked around the Hall, searching for the next person to read. Seeing that Michaela's father had glared at the resurrected man, he chucked the book at him - if Dorea's reaction to him and how he had verbally attacked Michaela were any indications, Mr. Dupont was not a man that he or Gideon would like. The blond man glared icily at Fabian, but still opened the book to the next chapter and began to read.

~**CHAPTER FOURTEEN - CORNELIUS FUDGE~ **he read. Fudge, up next to Madam Bones today, paled considerably. Dorea hadn't been there when he had taken Hagrid away, had she...?

~**Dorea, Ron, and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures.~**

"But he's also half-giant, so those creatures are about the same as cats and dogs to him." Ron murmured in Susan's ear, who nodded in agreement. With the addition of magical creature blood running through his veins, that made a huge difference in how he saw creatures compared to how normal humans or smaller half-breeds (there was really no other term that could be used for those people. Susan really didn't mean to be rude, she just couldn't think of any other way to describe their heritage.) would see them. In fact, the only ones who saw magical creatures the same was as Hagrid were Michaela, Galandriel, and Elront, seeing as how they were from a Tamer Clan.

~**During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy."~**

"How's he doing, by the way?" Dorea asked curiously. Hagrid grinned at his friend and answered.

"He's fine; a breeder came a few weeks ago and asked if he could use him to breed some pups. Showed me the credentials from the Greece Ministry of Magic and everything." he explained at the odd looks he was getting. After how he got Norbert's egg, Hagrid didn't trust anyone with his creatures unless he had verified evidence that everything was completely legal.

~**And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Dorea was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it.~**

Hagrid flushed as everyone laughed and nodded. That was definitely something that Hagrid would do.

~**He'd probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs;~**

People paused in thought then nodded, if Hagrid really were guilty, which they already knew he wasn't, then that meant that this would have been the reason that he would have been expelled. He wouldn't mean to hurt anyone, but accidentally did so anyway.

~**Dorea could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it. She could picture that with her neighbour Michaela, who would definitely share Hagrid's mindset on dangerous animals.~**

Michaela snorted and waved off the statement.

"I breed dragons for a hobby, of course I share in that opinion!" she chuckled, causing everyone who heard her to laugh in agreement, the only one staying quiet being Molly. The mother glared at her son's boyfriend, thinking about how that girl would easily be the one to attack students because she couldn't control animals. What she truly didn't understand was that, as a member of a Breeding Clan, that Michaela had influence over and could control dangerous animals, almost everything except werewolves in the wolf form and Ancromantulas.

~**But she was equally certain that Hagrid, and by default Michaela, would never have meant to kill anybody.~**

Michaela paused as though deep in thought and turned to Dorea.

"Would feeding someone who tried to kill me to my favourite dragon could as meaning to kill them?" she asked quietly. Dorea shook her head.

"Nah, self defence. They tried to kill you first, after that it's fair game." she said. Michaela nodded and turned back to the book.

~**Dorea half wished she hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary.~**

"But it's a really good thing you did, if someone else did who knows what could have happened." Luna pointed out.

**~Again and again Ron and Hermione made her recount what she'd seen, until she was heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed.~**

Ron and Hermione both flinched, thinking back they could see the irritation on Dorea's face whenever they asked her about what she had seen.

~**"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people..."**

**"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.~**

Dorea snickered as people began to look thoughtful. Mr. Dupont sneered as he read the next line.

~**Dorea thought it best not to answer that.~**

As the man predicted, everyone burst into hysterical laughter, his daughter and parents being some of the loudest. Those bitter feelings and the pure hatred he felt towards his daughter amplified. How as it that his parents loved her more than their own child? Because she was of the same species as them? It was disgusting to him to watch them interact.

~**"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Dorea miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award." Dorea knew something was off about that, but she didn't know just what it was...~**

Dumbledore smiled softly at those words. She subconsciously recognized that Riddle had been attacking the school. That was a very good thing, very good indeed.

~**Ron tried a different tack. "Riddle does sound a bit like Percy -~**

The 5th year gagged and shook his head violently. The two of them were nothing alike.

~**who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"**

**"But the monster _killed_ someone, Ron. Honestly, if you knew someone was raising some sort of creature illegally in the school and that students were being attacked, wouldn't you rat them out to keep the school from closing, too?" Hermione asked. Ron - in Dorea's opinion, quite wisely - kept his mouth shut and his head down.~**

Everyone laughed as Ron threw a pillow at Dorea.

~**"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Dorea. "If they were anything like the Dursleys, even just a little, I really don't blame him for wanting to stay here..."~**

Everyone sobered at the reminder of how Dorea was treated at the Dursleys, and Lupin watched with wary eyes and James cracked his knuckles, glaring at Vernon Dursley. The man had disappeared from the Gryffindor Common Room for several hours last night, and Vernon was looking to be in horrible condition compared to yesterday... Not to mention James' vow to kill Vernon... Just what had his friend done?

It wasn't that he disapproved of the man getting revenge on the person who beat, starved, and practically enslaved his daughter - Moony wanted him to do the exact same thing that James was doing. It was just that he was concerned as to how this would affect James' psyche.

~**"You met Hagrid down in Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Dorea?"**

**"He was buying some Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent for the school cabbages." Dorea said quickly, thinking back to that day. Hagrid had been carrying a bag of something, it was probably the repellent...~**

Hagrid nodded as people looked at Dorea in shock for remembering the Flesh Eating Slug Repellent so clearly. That was incredible!

~**The three of them fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice.**

**"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"**

**"That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'"~**

Everyone, including Hagrid, snorted at the statement.

"Mad and hairy? Hope you're not talkin' 'bout me there." Hagrid joked, causing Dorea and Ron to fall over on James and Susan respectively as they laughed until they were crying.

~**In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled. It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good.~**

Dorea scowled. They had been horribly wrong, she had simply had the key to the Chamber at the time...

~**Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song, Ernie Macmillan asked Dorea quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy, despite the mess that they made that Dorea and Neville, as well as a first year Ravenclaw name Luna Lovegood,~**

Luna beamed at the mention. Hermione and Ron, on the other hand, blinked in surprise. They had no idea that Dorea had met Luna outside of this year!

~**had offered to help clean up. Dorea had quickly found Luna to be a great friend, and was even close to Lady Helena as well, despite being a little odd - **_**But then again**_**, Dorea thought as she swept up some broken pots, **_**aren't we all?~**_

Several Ravenclaws, all of whom felt guilty about how they had treated Luna Lovegood these past 4 years, looked down at their laps. They shouldn't have made fun of her, she was incredibly intelligent and very sweet, what in the seven circles of Hell had compelled them to treat her so horribly?

~**"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," Professor Sprout told the three of them as they worked. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."**

**The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione and Dorea, at least, took very seriously.~**

McGonagall frowned. She had told the Head Girl that year, who had been in Gryffindor, to explain the necessity of course selections to the second years so that they made wise decisions! Did she not do what she had been told to do?

~**"It could affect our whole future," she told Dorea and Ron as they poured over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks. "Ron, you should at least take this as seriously as Dorea is!"**

**"I just want to give up Potions," said Dorea. "I could probably find someone outside of school to hire to teach me - it's not like that's against the school rules or anything, I even checked to make sure."~**

Snape flinched almost violently, not that anyone even noticed. He had no idea just how much Dorea acted like Lily, but that didn't mean that she still did... Right?

~**"We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts."~**

"I'm glad I couldn't, third year was the best!" Ron said, everyone in their third year and up agreeing with him. Remus flushed as Dumbledore turned to him.

"Seeing the overwhelming approval that you have from the students, Remus, would you mind taking up the post again next year as well?" Dumbledore asked. Snape clenched his fist in his robes - Dumbledore had promised him that _he_ would be the DADA professor next year! What was that man playing at?!

What he didn't know was that Dumbledore was planning to let him go, seeing as how after these books were read the Horcruxes would be destroyed, Voldemort would be dead, and there would be no point in keeping Snape around - especially since he would be arrested for endangering not only his students, but also the entire wizarding world with his bias. Seeing as how in the past 14 years there had only been 2 Potions Masters that came from Britain that Snape taught, whereas in the 14 years prior there had been well over 30, meant that Snape had critically damaged not only their Auror program, but also Healing and mass potion production programs.

~**"But that's very important!" said Hermione, shocked.**

**"Not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."~**

Everyone nodded as Molly and the few other pro-Lockharts scowled. They should have learned from the books, if Lockhart was reading them to the class!

~**Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.~**

"They're both a lot of fun, Arithmancy is more logical and mathematical, while Ancient Runes is more along the lines of memorization. However, the two go hand in hand in multiple career paths." Dorea advised. Neville smiled at his friend - like Dorea, he had taken all the electives except Muggle Studies, something he didn't need as Dorea and Hermione taught him everything they thought he should know, and now Sierra was teaching him even more.

~**Dean Thomas, who, like Dorea, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on. Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything, for some reason including Muggle Studies in with her choices, despite being muggleborn herself.~**

George shook his head fondly and wrapped his arm around Hermione.

"Mental, you are." he whispered in her ear. Hermione flushed and brushed some fluffy brown hair behind her ear - something which Daphne noticed and made a mental note to introduce Hermione to frizz-reducing magical hair products, all of which were guaranteed to work a hundred times better than the muggle products.

~**Dorea smiled grimly to herself as she thought of what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say if she tried to discuss her career in wizardry to them.~**

Multiple people choked on their own spit as they laughed at the mental images - the two would have heart attacks!

~**Not that she didn't get any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience.**

**"Depends where you want to go, Dorea," he said. "It's never too early to think about the future, so I'd recommend taking at least one year of Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community, particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them - look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures, and then there's also Bill, who loved history and took Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Ancient Studies. Play to your strengths and what you like, Dorea."~**

McGonagall and Arthur swelled up with pride, that was magnificent advice! Percy had truly deserved the title of Head Boy.

~**But the only thing that Dorea felt she was really good at was Quidditch.~**

"Stop right there!" Michaela ordered, stood up, walked over to Dorea, and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Dorea, you remember just as well as I do that you and I were tied for best in the year at our primary school. You are incredibly intelligent, logical, creative, and the only reason that you're third now is because you don't put as much effort into your work as you did before. And don't start spealing about how you only worked so hard to keep anyone else from being a big target, _babe_, because we both know that you worked so hard because you love to learn." With that said, Michaela sat back down on Charlie's lap. Dorea flushed and attempted to hide in Bill's arms, while James and Lily exchanged sad glances. She never should have had to deal with these sorts of self confidence issues. It was all those damn Dursleys at fault - relatives or not, they would pay for what they did.

~**In the end,~**

"AS WE FADE INTO THE NIGHT! WHO WILL TELL, THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE!" Michaela sang out, jumping up and throwing her arms out as though to hug someone. Dan simply shook his head at his blonde friend; he had long since stopped attempting to understand her mindset.

~**she chose the same schedule that Neville did, being every elective given except Muggle Studies. She couldn't help but smile at the choices she made - each class sounded interesting, and she was guaranteed to have at least one friend in each of them that she could work with to help her.~**

Everyone except Lavender, Parvati, Luna, and Dorea snorted at the idea of Divination being difficult. In reality, if you did the work properly, it was very difficult to get accurate readings, however it was also incredibly fun and challenging, something the four of them enjoyed immensely. Of course, Dorea had only began to take Divination seriously after hearing Trelawny's prophecy and speaking to the woman about it.

~**Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff. Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner, so that Dorea barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework.~**

Everyone winced at the idea, and the game didn't turn out all that well, either...

~**However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday's match she went up to her dormitory to drop off her broomstick feeling Gryffindor's chances for the Quidditch cup had never been better.**

**But her cheerful mood didn't last long.~**

"Wait, why not?" someone from the Slytherin table asked. Dorea shook her head, refusing to say why.

~**At the top of the stairs to the dormitory, she met Fay Dunbar, who was looking absolutely frantic.**

**"Dorea - I don't know who did it - I just found -"~**

"Found what?" Susan asked Ron, who shrugged his shoulders. All Dorea had told him was that someone had stolen Tom Riddle's Diary, nothing more, nothing left.

~**Watching Dorea fearfully, Fay slowly pushed open the door.~**

"I didn't know how she would react, we had never seen her angry before." Fay said, then paused in thought. "Still haven't, actually." Those who had seen or heard Dorea blow up on Ron and Hermione this past summer shuddered.

"You _really_ don't want to see her angry." they all said simultaneously.

**~The contents of Dorea's trunk had been thrown everywhere. Her cloak lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had been pulled off her four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of her bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.~**

Dorea let out a small snarl, her photo album and some of her gifts from Bill had been among those items. It was actually fortunate for Ginny that she hadn't damaged any of them, otherwise the youngest Weasley would have found herself using another hole when she used the bathroom.

~**Dorea**** walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls.~**

Those who hated Lockhart smirked, that was a good way to treat his books.

~**As she and Fay pulled the blankets back onto her bed, Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender came in. Parvati swore loudly.**

**"What happened, Dorea?"**

**"No idea," said Dorea. But Hermione was examining Dorea's robes. All the pockets were hanging out.~**

Everyone blinked while Moody and the other Aurors narrowed their eyes. Someone had been looking for something.

~**"Someone's been looking for something," said Hermione.~**

Everyone nodded - but what could they have been looking for?

~**"Is there anything missing?"**

**Dorea started to pick up all her things and throw them back into her trunk. It was only as she threw the last of the Lockhart books back into it that she finally realized what wasn't there.**

**"Riddle's diary is gone," she said in an undertone to Hermione, who stared at her in shock.~**

Many eyes narrowed. What would someone want Riddle's Diary for?

~**Dorea jerked her head toward the dormitory door and Hermione followed her out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Ron, who was sitting alone, playing a game of Exploding Snap.~**

Everyone in Gryffindor laughed, that sounded like something Ron would be doing while waiting for Dorea and Hermione to come down from the dorms.

~**Ron looked aghast at the news.**

**"But - only a Gryffindor could have stolen - nobody else knows our password -"**

**"**_**Exactly**_**," said Dorea.~**

Silence. Pure silence as everyone sat there in horror, thinking about who it could have been.

**~"Not only that, Ron, but **_**only**_** a girl can enter our dormitories."~**

Daphne and Luna both stared owl-eyed at a curled up Ginny. She was the only one they could think of that would do something like this - but why would she want to do it was the question.

~**They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.**

**"Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table, loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Dorea, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast."**

**Dorea had been staring down the packed Gryffindor table, wondering if the new owner of Riddle's diary was right in front of her eyes.~**

Not on the trio's gazes, but also Harry's gaze darkened. She had been.

~**Hermione had been urging her to report the robbery, but Dorea didn't like the idea. She'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary, and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago?~**

"If it got out why he had been expelled that would only be bad news for Hagrid." Dorea muttered. Bill, James, and Lily, all of whom had heard Dorea speaking, nodded in agreement. It could only be bad for Hagrid if that happened.

~**She didn't want to be the one who brought it all up again.**

**As she left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect her Quidditch things, another very serious worry was added to Dorea's growing list. She had just set foot on the marble staircase when she heard that voice yet again.**

_**"Kill this time... Let me rip... Tear..."**_

Hermione huddled into George's side, who took great pleasure in comforting her.

~**She shouted aloud and Ron and Hermione both jumped away from her in alarm.**

**"The voice!" said Dorea, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again - didn't you?"**

**Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.~**

Hermione now looked at Dorea and Ron curiously.

"How long did it take you to find the paper?" she asked. Dorea and Ron exchanged sheepish glances.

"We didn't see it at first, and the Hospital Wing was barred from visitors for the longest time, so... Just hours before you were woken up." Dorea said sheepishly, scratching her cheek. Hermione nodded, it wasn't their fault that happened, it would be the fault of Madam Pomfrey's paranoia.

~**"Dorea - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"**

**And she sprinted away, up the stairs.**

**"What does she understand?" said Dorea distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.**

**"Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head.~**

"She always does." Ron said, ruffling Hermione's frizzy hair affectionately. Hermione grabbed a pillow, whacked Ron with it, and set forth on the long and difficult journey of fixing her hair.

~**"But why's she got to go to the library?"**

**"Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."~**

"And thank Merlin you do, because if you didn't we'd all be screwed over by now." George teased, poking Hermione's cheek.

~**Dorea stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great Hall behind her, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.**

**"You'd better get moving," said Ron. "It's nearly eleven - the match -"~**

Everyone who had been there scowled at the reminder. It would have been smarter to just keep them on the pitch, seeing as how no one had been attacked on the grounds outside of the castle yet.

~**Dorea raced up to Gryffindor Tower, collected her Nimbus Two Thousand, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but her mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice, and as she pulled on her scarlet robes in the locker room, her only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.~**

The few who had remained inside shuddered as they remembered what had happened next - the news of another double attack, the news that a halfblood had been attack as well, had been increasingly shocking, especially among the Slytherins. It had become clear at that point that the monster didn't care about blood status, and that the fact that all the victims priory had been muggleborns was more than likely just pure chance.

~**The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics.**

**Dorea was just mounting her broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.~**

Several first years looks confused.

"Aren't there spells that make your voice louder, though?" a Slytherin first year asked. McGonagall smiled at the question.

"The megaphone was attached to the school announcement system, that way any students inside would also hear what was being announced." she explained. Everyone nodded - that did make quite a bit of sense, now that they thought about it. Not all students would attend Quidditch matches, especially not if they had an extremely large amount of homework to do.

~**Dorea's heart dropped like a stone.**

**"This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium.**

**There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.~**

Everyone who had seen that laughed, now being able to look back and enjoy the sight of that awkward run.

~**"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play - the cup - Gryffindor -"**

**Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"**

**Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Dorea over to her.~**

Those who didn't know what had happened paled. Dear Merlin, what had happened this time?

~**"Potter, I think you'd better come with me..."**

**Wondering how she could possibly suspect her this time, Dorea saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To Dorea's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object.**

**"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley…"~**

Hermione buried her head into George's shoulder, now knowing what would come next.

~**Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being cancelled; others looked worried. Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time.~**

Whispers began to act up, mainly among the third years and below, who had no idea as to what could have happened.

~**"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack... Another **_**double**_** attack."**

**Dorea's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered. .**

**Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair. Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidentally asked for directions to the Slytherin common room. And on the bed next to her was…**

**"**_**Hermione**_**!" Ron groaned.~**

Mr. and Mrs. Granger gasped in horror while Dorea ducked her head down. Ron looked at his best friend sadly.

"Dorea, you can't blame yourself for Hermione being petrified." he said. Dorea shook her head.

"He had her attacked to get to me, Ron. It was all to lure me down to the Chamber after him." she whispered, her voice hoarse as the thought about what she had put her friends through in her stupidity - first the chess game, then the Chamber and Hermione being attack, then the full moon third year, then the lake and Cedric's death last year - who would die this year? How many innocent would die before this war was over? How many needless deaths would happen? If she was going to defeat Voldemort, she would do it on her own terms, on her own. That was the people closest to her would be safe from here on out. Mrs. Granger looked up at Dumbledore in confusion.

"Why weren't we told about this happening?" she asked. Dumbledore's gaze hardened as he turned to Madam Bones.

"Madam, I want you to conduct an investigation into the interception of official Hogwarts notices and updates sent home to muggle parents. If Mr. and Mrs. Granger didn't receive the notice as to what had happened, as well as the notice that a teacher or myself would be available if they wished to visit their daughter to see her, then the likelihood of the other parents receiving the notices I sent home are slim to none." he said in a stern voice. Madam Bones nodded and jotted down the information, neither noticing how Mrs. Granger calmed immensely. It wasn't that they hadn't intended to inform the parents, it was that someone had prevented them from receiving it. That made her feel much better about the school her daughter attended.

~**Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy.**

**"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them..."**

**She was holding up a small, circular mirror.~**

"Direct eye contact kills, indirect paralyzes." Luna said mystically, blinking in surprise and taking in that knowledge. So the monster could kill with direct eye contact, could it...? How many creatures could do that...?

On the other side of the circle, Moody stiffened in shock and horror. There was only one monster he could think of that could kill with a single gaze the way that it appeared to be, and that was a basilisk. Any other creature that kills with a gaze would leave some sort of trace that would lead back to them, but a basilisk's gaze killed like the killing curse, leaving no evidence behind to explain why they died.

~**Dorea and Ron both shook their heads, both staring at Hermione.**

**"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case."~**

"And how we managed to finish that year is still a mystery." Blaise joked, squeezing Dante's hand.

~**"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."**

**The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."**

**She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.**

**"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, " said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers.**

**"Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause. Dorea, on the other hand, stood up angrily and spoke out on her own.**

**"Maybe the person behind these attacks are trying to frame the Slytherins to make us hate them more than all of you already do!" she shouted, earning complete silence from the rest of her House. "What we need to do is stop suspecting everyone we see wearing different colours and think about how we can help each other!"~**

All the Slytherins stared at Dorea in shock. She had defended them against her own House members, their very rivals in school. Maybe they could give her a true chance...

~**A seventh year at the back of the room sneered at Dorea's words.**

**"Yeah, says the filthy snake herself!" he screamed. Fred and George were the first to react, standing up, grabbing the boy by his collar and yanking him down so that he was bowing to Dorea.**

**"Insult our baby sister like that again -" George began, his voice vicious and merciless.**

**"- And we'll _turn_ you into a snake, hear me?" Fred finished just as coldly as his twin. The both of them grabbed his hair and forced him to look Dorea in the eyes, turning his neck at what must have been an awkward and slightly painful angle.**

**"NOW APOLOGIZE!" the Twins bellowed together. The boy screamed out a fearful apology and the two let him go, only for him to scramble up into the dorms, leaving behind a shocked crowd of Gryffindors. Fred and George looked at everyone menacingly. **

**"This goes as a warning to **_**all **__**of you**_**." Fred began this time.**

**"If we ever catch **_**anyone**_** -"**

**"- Insulting -"**

**"- Threatening -"**

**"- Or even so much as **_**gossiping**_** about -"**

**"- Our family -"**

**"- Then we'll -"**

**"- Make your life here -"**

**"- A living hell!" the two of them finished together and say back down in their seats near the fire.~**

All the Gryffindors who had either gossiped about Dorea, or insulted her behind her back thought back on all the borderline cruel pranks that had happened to them and shuddered. The Weasley Twins were extremely overprotective of those they considered family, _that_ was for sure.

Molly, on the other hand, couldn't seem to breathe. He sons had just threatened everyone in their House, fourth year and up, because of one boy insulting Dorea. Arthur was beaming with pride as he looked at his two sons; they certainly lived up to the Weasley Family Motto of _Supra Omnem Fidem_, or _Loyalty over All_.

~**Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.~**

Hermione looked up at the redhead.

"By your brothers or by Clearwater?" she asked. Percy chuckled and shook his head.

"Both, actually." he replied. Hermione nodded and turned back to the book, narrowing her eyes on Mr. Dupont. There was something off about that man, and it wasn't just about how he had greeted Michaela. There was something very, very wrong about him.

~**"Percy's in shock," George told Dorea quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl - Penelope Clearwater - she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."~**

Even Percy joined the laughter that followed that statement.

~**But Dorea was only half-listening. She didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone.~**

Everyone nodded. It was completely understandable; her best friend had just been petrified.

~**And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, she was looking at a lifetime back with the Dursleys.~**

Sierra snorted.

"If I had known you were a witch, which I probably would have by the first few months of the school year by the different vocabulary, I would have gotten you to be magically homeschooled with me, meaning you would be away from the Dursleys for most of the year." she said. Dorea sent her friend an odd look.

"When did you figure out that I was a witch?" she asked. Sierra looked sheepish.

"... I was walking by the park this summer when you faced off against Dudley and his gang..." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. Dorea just laughed, that meant that Sierra had seen her wand and known what she was then. So neither her, her brother, nor her parents had known that she was a witch as a child. Good to know.

~**Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Dorea now knew exactly how she had felt. She would never let someone else take the fall just so that she could stay at Hogwarts, but she understood his reasonings.**

**"What're we going to do?" said Ron quietly in Dorea's ear. "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?"~**

"Yes." the two Gryffindors said in unison. Everyone turned to glare at Fudge, whom all of them knew had been the reason that Hagrid had been taken away for the last few weeks that school year.

~**"We've got to go and talk to him," said Dorea, making up her mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."**

**"But McGonagall said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class -"**

**"I think," said Dorea, more quietly still, "It's time to get my dad's old cloak out again."~**

James looked horrified before Dorea spoke.

"We didn't know what was attacking the students, so all of us," here she indicated to herself, Ron, Hermione, the Twins, and Lee Jordan. "Decided to only pull pranks in areas that we knew were safe. That meant that we didn't use the cloak all that often." she pointed out. The three Marauders nodded, they probably would have done the same thing... After they thought about it for a moment.

~**Dorea****had inherited just one thing from her father:~**

"Correction: One thing that I knew of." Dorea added, glaring icily at Snape. Thieving bastard...

**~ a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak. It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it. They went to bed at the usual time, waited until the other students in their dorms had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fallen asleep, then got up, dressed again, met downstairs in the Common Room and threw the cloak over themselves.**

**The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't enjoyable. Dorea, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity. Their Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard.**

**Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore.~**

All the pranksters burst into laughter at the luck of it all while Snape and Molly both glared at Ron. Snape for him getting away with it, Molly for her son swearing at only 12 years old.

~**It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.**

**It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak only when they were right outside his front door. Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at them.~**

"Note to you all," Ron called out. "Hagrid holding a crossbow in your face is pretty terrifying to experience." Many people chuckled at his statement, however Mr. Dupont, wanting to get the blasted book out of his hands as soon as possible, continued reading.

~**Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.**

**"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you two doin' here?"**

**"What's that for?" said Dorea, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.~**

Lily couldn't help but laugh.

"Excellent way to change the topic, dear." she said, ruffling Dorea's hair. Dorea pouted slightly and attempted to fix her messy hair - stupid Potter curse...

**~"Nothin' - nothin' - " Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' - doesn' matter - Sit down - I'll make tea -"~**

Everyone narrowed their eyes. Had Hagrid been expecting someone from the Ministry to come because of his past with the Chamber?

~**He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.**

**"Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Dorea. "Did you hear about Hermione?"**

**"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice. He kept glancing nervously at the windows.~**

Naomi couldn't help but feel horrible for Hagrid. First the Chamber reopens, meaning that eventually suspicion is going to be cast back at him, and now one of his close friends had been attacked by the monster that was the very reason that he had been expelled so many years before. He must have felt awfully anxious and distressed.

~**He poured them both large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.**

**Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Dorea and Ron exchanged panic stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden,~**

Those who knew what a good friend Hagrid was smiled. Of course he would check first. That was just the kind of person that Hagrid was.

~**seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.**

**"Good evening, Hagrid."**

**It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, and in Dorea's opinion, very odd-looking man.~**

Ron couldn't help but snicker as Dorea flushed with colour. Oops, she had forgotten that her first impression of Fudge had been that of an odd man.

~**The stranger had rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.~**

Fudge's jaw dropped as he paled considerably. Dear Merlin, no wonder Dorea hadn't been surprised to see him the following summer at the Leaky Cauldron, she had already seen him before and known who he was by then...

~**"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"**

**Dorea elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up.~**

Ron mock glared at Dorea as everyone laughed at Dorea's past actions. Yeah, that was definitely something that Dorea would do, alright.

~**Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.**

**"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."~**

"WITHOUT EVIDENCE!" Hermione roared, glaring daggers at Fudge. Madam Bones glared at the sweating man as well.

"You should have come and spoken to me before any arrests were made, Cornelius. You have no idea how much paperwork I'm going to be forced to fill out because of your indiscretions." she said. Many in the Hall winced in sympathy - paperwork was never fun.

~**"I never," said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir -"**

**"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.**

**"Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something - the school governors have been in touch -"~**

"More like Lucius Malfoy was!" Arthur shouted out against his once-boss. As most shouted out in agreement, Molly stared at her husband in shock. Normally he would never say something like that, but upon seeing Narcissa Malfoy even nod in agreement with her husband, Molly kept her mouth shut and sat back in her seat.

~**"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest." said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Dorea had never seen before.~**

Dorea shuddered, his eyes that night were nothing compared to his eyes last June...

**~"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something.~**

Madam Bones gave Fudge a dead stare and whacked him upside the head. Fudge simply looked at her in shock as she glared at him.

"That was for being a dumbass." she said icily. Susan was staring up at her aunt before she remembered something.

"LANGUAGE!" she scolded. Madam Bones looked at her niece for a moment before she fell over on Perenelle Flamel, who was also laughing, due to how hard she had been laughing. How many times had she said that to Susan, only for the tables to be turned now?

~**If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty -"**

**"Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?"**

**"For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology and pay -"**

**"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.~**

Sirius shuddered violently at the mention of the prison, causing James and Remus to both wrap him up in a hug. Dorea even got out of Bill's lap to sit with her godfather to help console him of his memories of Azkaban, all 12 years spent wrongly imprisoned and mentally tortured by being forced to watch over and over again as he discovered James and Lily's dead bodies...

~**Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.**

**Dumbledore answered it. It was Dorea's turn for an elbow in the ribs; she'd let out an audible gasp.**

**Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black travelling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.~**

"Dogs have a sixth sense to Black Magic, did you know that?" Luna asked in an airy voice, as though she was commenting about the weather. Madam Bones' eyes widened and, as Lucius had prepared to draw his wand on the teenage girl, she cast a Stupefy on him and marched up to him. Taking his wand for the case, she lifted his left sleeve far enough to see a very active Dark Mark on his arm.

Contrary to public belief, the Dark Mark was active according to how active a Death Eater willingly was under Voldemort. If someone were to be forced into working for Voldemort, the Dark Mark would move as much as a muggle tattoo, meaning not at all. However, if they were completely and totally willing to torture, rape, and murder hundreds upon thousands of people just because they could, then the Mark would be as active as Lucius' was. Snarling, Madam Bones turned to Kingsley.

"Get the Magic Repressing cuffs; he is now under arrest for being an Active and Willing Death Eater. We'll question him after dinner tonight." she said, hearing a multitude of gasps from the Slytherin House, mainly from those still loyal to Draco Malfoy and his family. Narcissa, on the other hand, was smirking slightly. She had never loved Lucius, seeing as how she was forced into marrying him by her father. She loved Draco because he was her son, but she couldn't stand his father. She could barely sleep at night, knowing that a serial rapist, murderer, and torturer was sleeping less than a foot away from her in the very same bed. As such, now that her husband was under arrest, she couldn't help but feel safe in this very room.

After the cuffs were put on and Lucius was leaned against the wall (Madam Bones was going to _Ennervate_ him at lunch), Mr. Dupont continued with his reading.

~**"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good..."**

**"What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"~**

"You tell him!" a seventh year Slytherin cheered Hagrid on. Hagrid blinked in shock for a moment before a wry grin crossed his face. Maybe not all Slytherins were evil like Voldemort made everyone believe...

~**"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your - er - d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."**

**"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.~**

"He may have fooled the Wizengamot, but he had never fooled me. I knew he was a willing Death Eater, I just simply couldn't prove it without legal backlash." Dumbledore said, nodding to Madam Bones in thanks for proving him correct. Luna smiled and fiddled with her thumbs, if what she Saw was true, then Dumbledore would be in for quite the shock when they got to the sixth and seventh books and discovered the truth about Draco and Narcissa Malfoy.

~**"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension - you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school." Dorea grit her teeth at how his voice was dripping with sarcasm. If only the monster would attack him instead...~**

"DOREA!" Molly and Lily shouted at the same time, Molly sounding angry while Lily sounded amused.

"What a wonderful idea!" Lily finished. Almost everyone in the Circle laughed at Lily's comment while Molly silently fumed. There was no need to blow up now, she would talk to Lily about her behavior on a later date if this continued, there was no need to act like children, they were adults...

~**"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended - no, no - last thing we want just now!"**

**"The appointment - or suspension - of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks -"~**

Suddenly Dorea's eyes widened in shock and rage. Standing up, she stormed over to the unconscious Lucius Malfoy, Ennervated him, and kicked him cruelly in the face. Upon hearing the sick crack of his broken nose, Dorea's eyes grew as cold as ice as the air around her began to act as though she herself were a Dementor. Looking up through the pain, Lucius would later swear that he was looking Death itself in the eye when his gray eyes met Dorea's emerald ones.

"_That_," Dorea snarled. "Was because I just figured out your entire plan from that year, you sick _fuck_." she spat and stormed back to her seat. Lucius had wanted more than just all the muggleborns to be attacked, he had wanted Dumbledore cast from the school so as to put someone he would determine a responsible Headmaster in place instead. Knowing him, it would be one of his Death Eater friends.

~**"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"~**

"Her." Everyone in their fourth year and up said, pointing at the now silently raging Dorea. How could she have possibly missed that?! It was so obvious when she thought back on it now!

~**"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted -"**

**Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.**

**'An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.~**

Dumbledore chuckled through the cheering that Hagrif was getting.

"The answer to that would be all of them, Hagrid. That's also the reason that he is no longer a school governor." he said, earning more cheers from the Hall than the many that Hagrid had gotten moments before.

~**"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."~**

"They don't care, dumbass. All they care is that he's a fresh meal." Dorea snarled. She hated Dementors with a passion, though she didn't really know why... Maybe because they were unnatural, but why did she think that...?

~**"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"**

**"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy. "If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside -"**

**"But -" stuttered Fudge.**

**"No!" growled Hagrid.~**

The entire Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Houses stood to give Hagrid an ovation for his brilliant show of loyalty and courage, causing Hagrid's face to burn bright red. As they began to sit down again, the reading continued.

~**Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold grey ones.**

**"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "You will find that I will only **_**truly**_ **have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."**

**For a second, Dorea was almost sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered towards the corner where she and Ron stood hidden. She wouldn't be surprised if they did, seeing as how he knew about her and the Mirror or Erised December last year.~**

Dumbledore smiled once again and nodded, Dorea had been correct, he had been talking directly to her in that moment.

~ "**Admirable sentiments," Malfoy said bowing. "We shall all miss your – er – highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to pevent any – ah – **_**"killin's"**_**."~**

Dumbledore couldn't prevent the smirk that crossed his face.

"And I must say that I am extremely proud in that she did, not that you were any help, Lucius." Dumbledore said, not even looking at the man in question once. Dorea couldn't help but smile shyly at her grandfather as every student laughed at their headmaster. He thought of her as not only his granddaughter, but his successor...?

~**He strode to the cabin door, opened it and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath and said carefully, "If anyone wanted ter find out some **_**stuff**_**, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the **_**spiders**_**. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'."~**

Ron shuddered and looked up at Hagrid.

"Worst. Advice. Ever." he said simply. Hagrid looked confused - why would Ron say that? What happened with Aragog that caused him to think that?

**~Fudge stared at him in amazement.~**

"More like confusion." Fudge muttered under his breath.

~ "**All right, I'm coming," said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, "An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away."~**

"Dorea did that, she went down every time she had free time in any of her classes." McGonagall said. She hadn't approved of the girl going alone; however, the Bloody Baron and Gray Lady had accompanied her down to the grounds each time. Looking back, it was probably due to their friendship with Dorea and her being Hogwarts' Champion that led them to volunteering to do that.

~ **The door banged shut and Ron pulled the Invisibility Cloak off.**

"**We're in trouble now,' he said hoarsely. "No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."**

**Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door. Dorea went over quickly to comfort him, not truly feeling safe herself.~**

Mr. Dupont marked the page and slammed the book shut.

"I'm done. Someone else read it." he said, putting the book on the desk and eying it as though it were something disgusting. Cedric, for one, rolled his eyes and summoned the book, opening it to the next chapter. His eyes narrowed in confusion as the read the next title.

~**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – ARAGOG~ **he read. Ron and Dorea shuddered at the memory of the meeting with the Ancromantula, and began to pray to whatever deity was out there that Hagrid wouldn't get in trouble for raising some.

It was at that moment that there was a loud cracking noise, and in a flash of gold, 4 people that no one ever thought that they were see alive appeared.

**~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**bloomnskyrules: Thank you! UGH, exaaams... *has them coming on the 20th to the 26th* Fortunately I get to sleep in on the one that's on the 20th since they're the Oral French exams and are done appointment style, and the one on the 26th is most likely going to be ISU presentations since it's Careers... Dear God please help me... I had been planning out that poem for so long, I am so glad with how well it turned out! It flows wonderfully and sounds really good too! Then again, I've been thinking about it since the Mirror of Erised, so that's a long time to plan it out... *sweatdrops* Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

**griffindork93: Of course I did, I just turned her to her original species! ;) Nah, I think he's more of the passive aggressive type while Molly's just full out aggressive, so he's probably gonna scold her until she cries is all. I decided to stick with the night vision because it's something that wouldn't be common in humans but is still attributed to cats, and it's something that proves that non-human transformations can be quite sticky to fix. I already have how Dorea and Bill are going to get married in the story all planned out, as for Michaela and Charlie... I'm thinking I'll stick with the book wedding idea, just less Weasleys. Though it'll probably happen soon, and without Molly. I'm thinking mid-seventh book, maybe? MWAHAHAHA, IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED! :D Yeah, he'll be sticking around, but only because he knows of the books and has to stay to finish the readings now. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until the fifth book for that ^^' I'll try to get to it as soon as possible, I have a really funny scene planned out for that! Heh, I kinda did too... Oops! I always thought it was incredibly stupid for none of them to have a reason to keep writing in the book and thinking nothing odd of it, so I made one for them! I found that it fit the story pretty well, since it'll also give Dorea another reason to not like Muriel when she meets the old flamingo.**

**NaomiTheWingedSerpent: I've always loved Luna's character, mainly because she's odd but still incredibly intelligent and wise at the same time. I may have altered most of the characters personalities slightly to fit my headcanons of them, but Luna's newish personality I find fits her original character wonderfully. And yes, Naomi has a siren's voice and wings, and according to my good friend who created her character, it's her hoodie that keeps her wings hidden and when the hood is up it helps keep the magic out of her voice. Yes, Michaela knows she is half-siren, she can smell and hear it when she is near Naomi, just like her grandparents can. I already know if she will live or die, and I'm not going to spoil that for anyone. I'm thinking about having him hate Dorea in the seventh book because his parents were killed in a Death Eater attack, so bye-bye Smith family! I've never like Molly because of how controlling she is, so yeah, Arthur will probably get a divorce by the end of the books if she keeps going down this path (which she will :D). Heh, period pains and anger won't be a good combo with Dorea, that's all I will say. And again, thank you! :D Oh, and I'm 16 now.**

** .98: Why thank you! Most people don't because the stories get reported - I find if you don't post that it's a reading the books story then it gets avoided because people won't find it in a search. Requests have been taken in and will be processed! I think that since the Dursleys are so involved with Dorea/Harry's life, that they should know about this too! And I seriously don't mind sending in other reviews - in fact, send in as many as you'd like! Reviews are always welcome - except for flames. Those I usually read, laugh, and then delete.**

**KhaalidaNyx: *laughs* That definitely sounds like Aida! Homicidal would be more difficult, you wouldn't have Aida to help you hide the body, so suicidal would sound better there. Luna is a Ravenclaw, and has common sense, of course she's figuring it out! Lucius? *laughs* Never feel bad for that sucker! He's only getting his karma!**

**IShipElectricChairs: Just not the circumstances in which you did visit, correct? I probably missed some too, since I had rushed to update it, but... Meh. *shrugs* Sierra gave up beta-ing, sooo... All on my own here! Poor Lucius? I'm just giving him what he deserves... And yeah, 'Mione is jealous. I find that if my first best friend were to be even closer with someone and go so far as to constantly call each other her sister, yeah, I'd be jealous too, but even then, Hermione's character does annoy me quite a bit - and I'm surprised that no one's catching the big hint that I dropped considering the dimension-travel and all that. Yeah, once Riddle brings up his life in the orphanage Naomi will get into the descriptions on what happened to him there, and with how no one helped hi psychologically, emotionally, or physically and how that created Lord Voldemort as he was. YES THEY ARE! *laughs* Yes, yes I do see what you did there. Yes she does know, she's known for a while but I've only just mentioned it due to the fact that she can tolerate Naomi more with her only being half High Elf and Naomi only being half Siren. Pretty much Sirens and High Elves are natural enemies, to the point where a Siren's singing is painful for a High Elf to hear due to evolution. Thanks, and Chicago was amazing! As was the Ghost Hunt that I went on! :D *gomps back***

**Atalanta: ... ... ... Holy crapola that's a lot of riddles... *copies and saves them all***

**cross-over-lover232: First, since you've sent in so many reviews, I'll just answer them all here. First off, Dudley's making his recoveries after he's being punished and seeing how his bullying has affected Dorea. As such, his punishment will be removed. Not saying when, but it will be removed. Hermione had been thinking that House Elves were slaves for no reason, and as such wanted them to be paid. Upon discovering that they work and are paid with the magic to be able to live, she's decided that she won't force anyone to pay their House Elves, instead she'll just get them treated fairly. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuh, I think you're confusing Charlie with Bill there, because Charlie isn't the one with the earring, Bill is... Yes, Snape is smart, but he is also blinded by hatred and delusion. And the reason Lily wasn't told off was because she was threatening him if he did it again, which is a completely reasonable thing to threaten him for, seeing as how he has no say in who is expelled or not. He cares about her more than anything in the world - let's say your boyfriend/girlfriend/soon-to-be-spouse runs off, fights one of the most deadly creatures on the planet, and makes it out alive due to pure chance. Would you not decide that you would punish them for that? As for why Lucius is spluttering - Narcissa is his wife, Dorea is the enemy. Need I give a better reason? For Remus - he held off on going out with Tonks for almost an entire year because he thought it would be too dangerous for him to be with her, despite her saying that she didn't care that he was a werewolf in canon. Do you think he's realized that the girls care less about the fact that he's a werewolf than his personality? As for the next one on Lily - oh come on, Filch threatens her daughter and she's not allowed to retaliate? Any good mother would if someone were saying that to their child! I think you would have figured out by now that Molly's mind won't make much sense in the aspect of the responsibilities of her children and their lives, seeing as how this is a Molly bashing story. And for Narcissa - she wants to get to know Dorea better, she loved her Great Auntie Dorea, she can see the resemblance between grandmother and granddaughter, she doesn't love Lucius, she will defend her son and make him change his ways before he gets into a dangerous path that he shouldn't follow, and as such will always side with her family over the man she was forced to marry. Next up: Revenge in the Prewett Twins' books means pranks. Not cruel pranks like most people would think, but lots and lots of pranks. And come on, she's a girl, we girls hold grudges on the most stupid of things forever - I know firsthand on that aspect of it! *giggles* Hetalia is amazing, after all~ By the waaay, would you mind checking out my Hetalia one-shots and telling me what you think of them? My second one (My Angel, My Demon) is my favourite of the two. And as for the last one - Dorea is at Hogwarts where all but 2 of the years are all older students. Anyone that would be named after her would be more likely to be 2 or more years younger than Dorea is now, which is why she said that.**

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 12,053**

**... Alright, I tried to make this as long as I could; it was actually really hard to do this much as it was... I'll try to make the next one as long as possible, guys! Maybe Michaela will have a panic attack to fill up some space... That would probably take up a thousand words or so if I write out the scene I have planned...**

**Review Count: 1,850**

**I know that's because of the REALLY long wait for the update, and again, I am SO SORRY FOR THAT GUYS! Because of that I'll make the next goal a little lower and try to update within 2 weeks! (Exams start this week TT^TT)**

**Review Goal: 1,925**

**I know you guys can hit this one easily, so please leave a review!**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**


	39. Book 2: Chapter 15

**Reading Dorea Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**

**Summary: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! During OotP! Umbridge was sent 7 books on Dorea Potter's life in Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sent a note that told him to summon a list of people. Dorea Potter got a note warning her that the truth would be revealed. None of them imagined that they were from the future, let alone people from the past and present would be coming along with.**

**Warnings: Ghost!Lily, James, Cedric, and Prewitt Twins; Fem! Smart! Political! Abused! Strong!Harry, Fleur bashing, femHarry/Bill, Snape bashing, Umbridge bashing, Ministry bashing, Molly bashing! CharliexOC, RonxSusan, GeorgexHermione, NevillexOC, Blaise/OC, OCxOC, TheoxGinny~!**

**Before I say anything else, someone asked how Mr. Dupont and Michaela's siblings are all human while Michaela is not, and for my answer I'd like to refer to the bottom A/N of chapter three:**

**"**_**Michaela will be half High Elf, the most powerful Elf you can find. High Elves are almost wizards and witches, their forms of magic are similar but still different. High Elves, as well as those who are half blooded, can Apparate in and out of places that witches and wizards normally can't. Because their power is so powerful, unless a High Elf marries a wizard, the High Elf blood skips a generation, making muggles that carry the genetics for the Magical Creature.**_**"**

**So, Mr. Dupont was the child that the power skipped, whereas Michaela inherited it. As for her siblings - they're only her half-siblings; they're the children of her mother, not her father. If they were the children of her father, they too would be half-Elves.**

**And I apologize for the late update, guys, I have about 1000 words typed up when my laptop went into an update while I was eating dinner and I lost all the data -.\||| So I tried to rewrite it as best as I could! Seeing as how it brought up a major plot of the story and I had to rewrite it the best as I could possibly do... *shakes fist at sky* DAMN YOU UPDATES! And, as I've learned, apparently I'm most inspired to write at night now... How did that happen... *wanders off thinking about this***

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**LAST TIME ON TRUTH REVEALED:**

_Mr. Dupont marked the page and slammed the book shut._

_"I'm done. Someone else read it." he said, putting the book on the desk and eying it as though it were something disgusting. Cedric, for one, rolled his eyes and summoned the book, opening it to the next chapter. His eyes narrowed in confusion as the read the next title._

_**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – ARAGOG~ **__he read. Ron and Dorea shuddered at the memory of the meeting with the Acromantula, and began to pray to whatever deity was out there that Hagrid wouldn't get in trouble for raising some._

_It was at that moment that there was a loud cracking noise, and in a flash of gold, 4 people that no one ever thought that they were see alive appeared._

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

The four adults, for they were too large to be children, crashed gloriously on the floor in a heap of tangled limbs and piled torsos. Dorea winced at the sight - that was _exactly_ how she felt whenever she used a Portkey. Of the four adults, two were men, of who were on the bottom of the heap, and two women, who had mercifully been placed on top of the two men. The first man, on the very bottom, had long, black hair pulled back into a braid, a well trimmed and groomed beard and mustache, and was currently wearing midnight blue robes. The second man, who was lying on top of the first man horizontally, had wildly curly auburn hair that was pulled back in a short ponytail, with a matching wild beard and mustache himself to go with his hair, and finally was wearing beautiful amber coloured robes.

Of the woman, the first one, who was sitting slightly on the man in the amber robes, had her dark brown hair pulled back into an elegant bun on the back of her head. Dorea could make out the features of her face - she had sharp, pointed, aristocratic cheekbones and a very pointed jaw line, her eyes were slightly narrower than the norm and were a heavenly shade of ice blue. She was wearing robes of a deep colour of red, similar to the colour of a puddle of blood, with slight bronze embroidery along her breast hem. The second woman, who had slid off the pile and was currently dusting herself off, was shorter than Dorea had initially thought, and was slightly plump around the stomach, hips, and thighs - all of which, Dorea realized, could be easily attributed to baby weight after giving birth. She had beautiful strawberry blonde locks pulled back in a simple, though now slightly messy, bun at the nape of her neck, and was wearing robes of a beautiful plum colour that seemed to shine in the light. As her back was to Dorea, she couldn't make out the woman's features, but she knew within her heart instinct that this woman was very motherly, loving, and accepting.

The woman in plum helped the woman with the sharp features stand as the two men began to wrestle and banter quite loudly in the Great Hall, ignoring all the eyes that were resting on them.

"- And I told you before, you great tub of lard, that if we ever collapse in the same vicinity that _you_ are the one that bottoms so as for the _rest_ of us that land _on_ you are to be more comfortable!"

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry, _Sally-boy_, but I couldn't hear you over the _foot_ I'm about to shove into your _mouth_!"

"Don't call me Sally-boy, _Ricky_."

"Call me Ricky one more time and this blade will go up where the Sun never shines upon you!"

"_Then don't call me Sally-boy_!"

The woman in plum finally decided to settle the argument.

"_GODRIC_! _SALAZAR_! _What_ in the Great Lady's good name are the two of you even _doing_?!" she demanded. The two looked up and at the woman.

"Isn't it obvious, Helga?" the ravenet man, now identified as Salazar, asked.

"We're wrestling." said the man in amber, now identified as Godric. The woman in plum, now named Helga, sighed and hung her head.

"I can _see_ that, thank you two, what I meant was _why_ are the two of you wrestling and bickering like little children?" she asked. The woman with the sharp features began to giggle from her position behind Helga.

"I suggest the two of you stop before she forces the two of you the scrub the chamber pots by hand again." she said. The men, now standing and straightening out their robes, glared at the woman.

"Oh, why don't you go and kiss the Squid, Rowena." Godric said, adjusting the blade that rested on his hip. Dorea, upon seeing the handle of the blade, subconsciously conjured the Sword of Gryffindor and held it flat on her lap. She knew who these four people were.

They were the Founders.

Salazar looked around him with disbelief.

"Well, you three, it appears that we're still within the castle... But it looks different..." Salazar paused for a moment and let his magic swirl in the air around him before he frowned. "It _feels_ different as well." He looked up, and, upon seeing Dumbledore, let a small smile grace his face. "Good sir, you are clearly the Headmaster in this time. Do tell us where we have landed - the date, if you will." Dumbledore smiled wisely, his eyes meeting Dorea's for a split second before he stood. Dorea let a small smirk cross her face - Dumbledore knew who these four were as well.

"Well, I must say, I never expected that the four of you would ever grace these halls once more." Dumbledore said, nodding. "I'm afraid that you have been sent far, far into the future - the date is November 10th, 1995." he explained. The Founders all paled and slowly backed into the cushy chairs that Dumbledore conjured upon seeing the looks on their faces.

"... We've... We've been sent over 1500 years into the future?" Rowena muttered, putting a hand to her head. "How is this possible?" she questioned. Dorea sheepishly stood up, the Sword of Godric Gryffindor strapped to her back.

"Er - that's slightly my fault..." she said, raising her right hand a little as she looked at the four people in front of her. All four Founders looked at Dorea, Godric's eyes lighting up upon seeing the sword strapped to her back. Helga sent her a disbelieving look.

"How could this possibly be at your fault, young maiden?" she then blinked and took in Dorea's attire - a skirt that came down to just above Dorea's knees and a poet shirt. "And by the Lady, what do you think you are wearing?!" she demanded. Dorea looked slightly confused at the second question, before remembering that in their time period, women dressed so that everything from their necks to their ankles to their wrists were completely covered. She coughed slightly and began to explain.

"Ah, well, for the first question, several books surrounding my adventures within and around this school were sent by - I'm assuming - my family in the future to be read by all of us, so as to save lives from needless death, from how things look. The three people did warn us, however, that because they sent these books back to us that they had opened a rift in the time-space continuum - and that it was possible for others to be randomly summoned to read alongside us. Harry here," Dorea pointed to Harry, who waved to the Founders. "Like you, was summoned from another dimension and time period for apparently no reason whatsoever. As for that second question - this is simply how women dress in these times. In fact, this is pretty decent compared to what some women wear." Dorea jumped as one of the strangers spoke from the doorway of the Hall.

"She's right, you know." said the first stranger, the shorter man. He and the other two stepped into the Hall, though the two men seemed to be keeping at a distance from the woman. "We didn't actually mean to summon you four here - we had been attempting to prevent anyone else from slipping through the rift, but there was an incident..." Here the woman began to yell at the two men.

"THERE WAS NO BLOODY _INCIDENT_!" she screamed, the two men slowly backing away so as to get away from the angry woman who had just taken out her wand. "AL, _YOU_ FELL ASLEEP, AND JAMES, _YOU_ WERE TOO BUSY DRAWING ON AL'S FACE WITH _MY_ GOOD INK TO BOTHER TRYING TO _PREVENT_ THE RIFT FROM GROWING!" she screamed, throwing a few good hexes at the two, who had begun to flee. During this time, the hoods flew off all three of them, the two men from their running, the woman from the power of her spells. The woman was almost identical to Lily Potter in every way, except her eyes. Rather than being the same emerald green as Lily's, they were a gorgeous shade of sea green. As for the two men, the first man looked shockingly similar to both Harry and James (Harry was virtually a carbon-copy of James for all but his eyes, remember?) but with sapphire blue eyes, and the second man had much calmer, wavier hair than the first man, but had Dorea's emerald green eyes. In fact, Dorea, Ginny, and Dumbledore were all just more than a little spooked by how similar he looked to a young-adult Tom Riddle. The James-look-alike and the Riddle-look-alike looked around for a moment, dodged some of the woman's spells, and then jumped and hid behind Dorea and Bill.

"MUM, DAD, SAVE US!" they shouted. Dorea and Bill flushed bright red and looked at each other, then the men cowering behind them.

"... _Mum_...?" Dorea asked slowly.

"... _Dad_...?" Bill asked just as slowly. The two men and the woman froze before all three cursed and, in flashes of gold, disappeared. Dorea, still stunned by what just happened, slowly sat down next to Bill, both of them looking at nothing while they tried to figure out what just happened. Cedric cleared his throat and held up the book again.

"Ah, since the, uh, Founders, arrived, I'll reread the chapter of the title then?" he asked, somewhat uncertain of himself. Looking down, he began to read once more.

~**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – ARAGOG**

**Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Dorea; no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.~**

Everyone who had seen that nodded, it was weird for them all to look out the window, see the nice weather, and not see Hagrid walking around the grounds and taking care of things. It just wasn't right.

~**Dorea and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now banned from the hospital wing.**

**"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off.."~**

"Oh yes, having a few people in at a time to visit would put them at so much risk - considering that save two attacks, each attack happened when the student was alone." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Not to mention that it was never even thought of that one of the students might have a less noticeable clue than Colin's camera melting." Ron nodded, seeing as how Dorea was still out of it upon seeing three adults naming her and Bill their parents, and the teachers all paled. Was that how Dorea and Ron found the Chamber? Had it happened when they had visited Hermione that last day?

~**With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.~**

"Of course we were like that," Sally-Anne shouted indignantly. "Everyone was terrified that someone was going to be killed because Dumbledore wasn't there!" As people nodded in agreement, Narcissa sent her soon-to-be-ex-husband a dirty look. She had only discovered through Draco's letters as to the attacks that were happening, and by the way that Draco worded it, he had known that it had been his father that had been the mastermind behind them.

~**Dorea constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to herself **_**"I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."**_** But what good were these words?~**

Godric and Salazar both nodded, help would always be given to those who needed it the most and, judging by the sword on Dorea's back and the phoenix perched on the back posts of Dumbledore's chair, Dorea had most definitely had to tools to help her come.

~**Who exactly were they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared as they were?~**

The Founders all looked at each other and smirked.

"Earl." they said together. Despite the questioning looks, no explanation was provided.

**~Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand - the trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow.~**

"It _is_ worth noting," Hermione provided for the Founders. "That if Dorea says there were none, there were _none_. She has sharp eyes like that." Rowena was the one to smile this time - she and Salazar both appreciated several traits; those being intelligence, cunning, and observation skills. To pick something out that small, it spoke _volumes_ about those three skills together - especially since she would have to be inconspicuous about it while she searched.

~**Dorealooked everywhere she went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron. They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors. Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Dorea found it very irksome.~**

"It's hard to look for clues like that when in a crowd." Moody nodded, agreeing with Dorea's thoughts. That would be very irksome, thought he would be able to do it because of his magical eye. Dorea, however, would not.

~**One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy.~**

The Slytherins in the Circle suddenly had looks of horror cross their faces as they all looked up at McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Promise us that you will never let that happen." Blaise demanded. "Promise us!" Dumbledore chuckled, but nodded all the same.

"I hereby promise that Draco Lucius Malfoy will not be named Head Boy for as long as I am Headmaster." he promised. The four Slytherins all slumped in the seats, calmed by the promise, as Malfoy scowled. He would make a wonderful Head Boy, and with Dorea as Head Girl... It would be just like Lily and James Potter all over again...

~**Dorea didn't realize what he was so pleased about until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left, when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Dorea overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle.~**

Salazar sighed - if only he knew the Houses that these children were in, Dorea would make such a lovely addition to his House...

~**"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not troubling to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in…"~**

Bill scowled.

"I swear it, he is the worst Slytherin I have ever met." he said, and Salazar flinched violently while the other Founders gave him incredibly sympathetic looks. Dorea just raised an eyebrow at Bill.

"Crabbe and Goyle." she named, not noticing as Salazar flinched twice more. Bill, on the other hand, shrugged.

"Never met those two. And I can say _that_ quite happily." he added in. Salazar was currently holding his head in his hands - how far had his House fallen in these past many years?

~**Snape swept past Dorea, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.~**

"As I knew of her condition, there was no point in asking about it." Snape snapped. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"I was noting that you weren't mocking me for it, you idiot." she snarled. As Snape stood to say something back, probably some insult of some sort, Dorea held up a single hand and, using Silent, Wandless Magick, forced him to sit back down and keep his mouth shut. Smiling sweetly, Dorea's voice suddenly became as sickeningly sweet as Umbridge's.

"And you'll do us all a favour and stay that way until the reading is done for today, alright?" she asked innocently. Godric chuckled and grinned at Salazar.

"She has to be one of yours." he said. Dorea coughed and looked at her ancestor sheepishly.

"Actually, I'm one of yours - though I easily could have been in Slytherin." she said, seeing the sad look in Salazar's eyes. "I just didn't want to be in that House because Malfoy was sorted into it before me." All four Founders nodded, quite simple logic there. "Besides, you four haven't heard of my Gryffindor side, yet. All you've seen are my Slytherin trait_sss_." she said, her Parseltongue slipping a little at the end. Salazar immediately perked up at that.

"_You're a SSSpeaker asss well?_" he asked in the tongue of the Serpents. Dorea nodded.

"_Firssst Potter to be a SSSpeaker in over a hundred yearsss._" she replied. Salazar simply stood, brushed off his robes, and moved over the join the Circle so as to be closer to one of his descendents.

~**"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"~**

"The day that happens is the day Voldemort rules the Ministry!" Neville said. Luna got a glazed look in her eyes before she suddenly looked terrified, for she had just seen the headlines from 2 years in the future of Snape being Headmaster and Dorea being wanted, which could only mean one thing when put together.

Voldemort had taken the Ministry.

~**"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."**

**"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job - I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir -"~**

"Yes, well, your father won't be doing much more voting from Azkaban." Sirius said with a dark glee in his voice. It was time that bastard got locked up for his crimes, unlike how Sirius had been for 12 years.

~**Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.~**

Godric laughed whole heartedly as most of the Hall cheered.

"Definitely one of mine, then!" he said for the other three to hear. Looking over at his friend in the Circle, Godric decided that, if they got to Dorea's Gryffindor side this chapter, he would join his friend and get to know his obvious successor.

~**"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies.~**

All four Founders began snarling at the disgusting word. Not only had most of them had at least one muggleborn family member directly related to them, but each had married a muggleborn as well, to ensure that their children could be the best that they could possibly be. Even they understood that inbreeding would only result in horrible consequences - just look at Mordred, the son of Morgana and her half-brother, Arthur Pendragon. He was the most vile thing that they could possibly think of.

~**Pity it wasn't Granger -"~**

The snarls grew louder as Hermione looked absolutely stricken with horror. She had no idea that Malfoy had actually wanted her to be killed... George, seeing the look on his hopefully-soon-to-be-girlfriend's face, wrapping his arms around her in a hug and began to whisper comforting words in her ear, like how she was a million times better than Malfoy and it was all the inbreeding getting to his head for wanting such a wonderful person to die.

~**The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky; at Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.**

**"Let me at him," Ron growled as Dorea and Dean hung onto his arms to keep him from actually attacking Malfoy.~**

Godric once again nodded - he was definitely one of his, then.

Rowena, however, was staring at Lady Helena in shock and horror. Her daughter had become a ghost? And she looked so young, too... Rowena could only hope that her beloved daughter had died of a disease and not by murder.

~**"I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands -"**

**"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched, with Dorea, Ron, and Dean bringing up the rear, Ron still trying to get loose. It was only safe to let go of him when Snape had seen them out of the castle and they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses.~**

"Sounds like Ron has his mother's temper and his father's protectiveness." Gideon commented lightly, eying his sister with hopes that she wouldn't blow up on his for that. Molly, on the other hand, looked confused. Was her temper really that bad?

~**The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin and Hermione.**

**Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Dorea went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found herself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan, one of the quieter Hufflepuffs who hadn't thought that Dorea was the one behind all the attacks.**

**Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Dorea, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you - even though I wasn't open like Smith was about it. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger,~ **

"Was this when people stopped thinking it was you that was the Heir of Slytherin?" Charlie asked lightly. Dorea nodded as Salazar looked horrified.

"Someone was attacking the students of this school under my name?!" he asked. His eyes widened further and, to Dorea, asked. "_Where they usssing Bessssssssy, my basssilisssk?_" he asked. Dorea looked at him incredulously.

"What kind of name is Bessy for such an incredible beast like her?" she asked. Salazar shrugged.

"It's short for Bestandan, it's Anglo-Saxon for Stands beside." he said, but shook his head. "_You haven't anssswered the quessstion. What happened to her?_" he asked. To his horror, Dorea began to tear up and, in Parseltongue, began to spew out apologies.

"_I-I'm ssso sssorry. That bassstard, he wasss usssing her to attack the ssstudentsss - when I found him and refusssed him, he sssent her to kill me... Fawkesss, he helped me by... By dessstroying her eyesss..._" Salazar felt his heart sink as he prepared for the news of the death of his beloved basilisk, the creature he had saved from poachers and raised from a hatchling until the day he would die. "_SSShe asssked him to ssstop the pain, but he... He told her to ignore it, that BASSSTARD!_" Here, everyone jumped as Dorea roared that last word in Parseltongue. It was quite eerie to hear when you didn't understand what she was saying. "_SSSo I... I... When ssshe attacked the final time, I... I put her out of her pain..._" Dorea's tear ducts were acting like waterfalls with the sheer amount of tears that she was releasing. "_Before ssshe died, ssshe thanked me for freeing her from the cruel Massster, and called me Missstressssss..._" And so, with the true story off her chest, for the first time since the death of the Basilisk named Bestandan, more commonly referred to as Bessy, Dorea wept for the unyielding cruelty of Voldemort that led to the death of such a magnificent creature. Salazar, understanding what Dorea was crying over, walked over to her and, kneeling in front of her, pulled the crying girl into his arms.

"_Thank you,_" he whispered in her ear. Dorea's breath hitched at the words she never expected to hear from him. "_Thank you for helping to free her from the one whom misssusssed her..._" With that, Salazar held Dorea at arm's length and placed a single kiss on her forehead, feeling her magic. For a moment, Salazar felt like smiling, for the girl before him, the one crying for the loss his Bessy, was the Lady of his House in this age, and would bring his family name from the filth that it was clearly laying in at the current moment to the prestige that it was in his own time.

Godric was the one to ruin the moment.

"Sal, can you please stop it so that we can continue with the reading?" he asked gently, knowing who Bestandan was and how much she meant to his friend. And, judging by Dorea's reactions to his question, the girl had been forced to slay the sweet basilisk. Godric knew better, Bestandan would never hurt a fly under normal conditions, for her to not only attack people, but to try to kill them, she must have been under some sort of control. Salazar looked at his friend and nodded, making mental notes to place more protections around his Chamber - perhaps intent wards or a test, so that the ones to find it must prove themselves to be as pure of heart as Dorea was to be able to access his Chambers. Perhaps make them swear a Wizard's Oath before they entered the Chamber that they would not attack any student in the school and would do all in their power to protect Hogwarts from all real threats, not the threats that they believed to be there but weren't. _Yes, perhaps that would prevent this event from happening in, er, our __**dimension**__... _Salazar thought, still more than just a little confused on the whole time-space-dimension thing.

Cedric continued reading.

~**and I apologize for all the stuff I thought and the stuff I should have stopped others from saying. We're all in the same boat now, and, well -"**

**He held out a pudgy hand, and Dorea shook it.~**

Helga beamed at Dorea as several people mentioned that she was far too forgiving for her own good. Except for a few cases, one could never be too forgiving!

~**Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Dorea and Ron.**

**"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "Hhe seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."**

**"That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Dorea had.~**

Ron snorted.

"He may not have been vocal about his suspicions, but to anyone who knows Pureblood traditions like those of us raised with it do, his stance was quite obvious from the beginning as to what he thought." he said. Dorea rolled her eyes.

"Muggle raised, remember?" she said. Ron flushed and scratched his neck.

"... You may want to learn about that quickly..." he muttered. Dorea just laughed and threw a pillow at her friend.

"You're an idiot." she said teasingly. Ron stuck out his tongue, neither noticing how the Founders all smiled at the sight. They had already begun to classify those two as Dorea being the new Salazar and Ron being the new Godric. Now all they needed to find was the new Helga and the new Rowena...

~**"Do you think it's Malfoy, Dorea?" Ernie asked.**

**"No," said Dorea, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared. "He's too obvious a choice. If I had to say who it is, I'd say it's someone that's inconspicuous; someone who doesn't stand out too much but doesn't completely fade into the background."~**

Dorea shrugged.

"And I was right about several of that bastard's traits." she said. Molly scowled.

"Language, Dorea." she said. Dorea simply raised an eyebrow.

"A bastard is a child born outside of wedlock or a child that is not wanted by his or her parents. He was not wanted by his father and his mother only managed to marry his father through the use of Love Potions. Hence he is a bastard child." she said, then looked up at Madam Bones. "Now that I think about it, Love Potions should be illegal. Who knows how many people are forced into marriages that they don't want to be in, or are drugged for years and controlled by these potions." she said. Madam Bones paled terribly, imagining someone using Love Potions on her Susan to get access to the Bones fortune, and nodded almost excitedly with Dorea's idea.

"I'll put that into the Wizengamot as soon as possible, Lady Potter." she said. Godric raised an eyebrow.

"Potter, related to Tentigo Potter?" he asked. Seeing Rowena's harsh scowl, Dorea couldn't help but giggle.

"He's my ancestor - and could you please give us a counter to the curse you put on him?" she asked gently. "It's carried through the years." she said. Rowena blinked in surprise and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I would have to look into it, the curse was designed to only last on him, not any of his descendents." she explained. Dorea nodded once and turned back to the book, that would make a lot of sense, like why she never reversed the curse on his child. She had thought that Rowena had just held a grudge on Tentigo and decided to leave it on his child - when in truth, she never knew of it until now. Helga, on the other hand, just laughed and shook her head. Good old Tentigo, always there to cheer her up by annoying her friends with his flirting.

~**A second later, Dorea spotted something.**

**Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting.~**

The Founders were impressed; Dorea certainly did have observation skills that rivaled Salazar's and Godric's own, though for Godric it was mainly on the battlefield.

**~ Dorea hit Ron over the hand with her pruning shears.~**

Most people in the Hall laughed at that comment, _that_ would certainly get his attention.

~**"Ouch! What're you -"**

**Dorea pointed out the spiders, following their progress with her eyes screwed up against the sun.**

**"Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying, and failing, to look pleased.~**

Michaela laughed, knowing that she would have the exact same reaction.

~**"But we can't follow them now -"**

**Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously.~**

"Of course we were, we had no idea what you two were looking at or were talking about." Ernie said.

**~Dorea's eyes narrowed as she focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.**

**"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest..."~**

"Wait, since when is the Great Forest Forbidden?" Helga asked. Dumbledore sighed and shrugged.

"The moment it got dangerous, I suppose. It's been called that since I've attended Hogwarts, so I honestly have no idea when the name was changed." he answered. The Founders all exchanged looks - they would have to check up on the history on them was written to see why things were the way they were in this school. Back when they chose this land, they chose the Forest specifically because of the centaur tribe that lived there, seeing as how they owed Godric a Life Debt from when he saved the Tribe Leader's son from being killed by muggle hunters. Lily, on the other hand, sighed.

"Why do you go in there every single year?" she asked. Dorea smiled.

"Not sixth year!" she said brightly, then shook her head. "Again, the channeling, but _Merlin_ am _I_ glad that I'm not going into that Forest next year." she said with a slight laugh. One year without that blasted Forest, brilliant!

Little did she know that the only reason she would not have gone into that forest would be because it was too dangerous for anyone to enter with Hagrid, as Aragog's children didn't attack him in thanks for him being the reason that they lived.

~**And Ron looked even unhappier about that.~**

Everyone couldn't help but laugh; that would definitely be something Ron would look like at the news.

~**At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Dorea and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.**

**"We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Dorea told Ron. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."~**

Both Dorea and Ron snorted at that comment - Fang had been absolutely no help whatsoever.

~**"Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er - aren't there - aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?"~**

Remus sent Ron a mocking glare as Ron flushed with embarrassment. He had forgotten that he had said that...

~**he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.**

**Preferring not to answer that question out of uncertainty, Dorea said, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns…"~**

Erador and Firenze, as well as most of their tribe save Bane, beamed at Dorea. At least the Blessed One saw them as good, not evil.

~**Ron had never been into the Forbidden Forest before. Dorea had entered it only once and had hoped never to do so again.**

**Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.**

**"Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"**

**People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.~**

The Founders looked more than just a little confused, why did so many people seemed annoyed by this man?

~**"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away -"**

**"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.**

**"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.**

**"Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean.**

**"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr. Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone. **

**Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in midsentence when Dorea kicked him hard under the desk.**

**"We weren't there, remember?" Dorea muttered, then looked up at Lockhart. "Sir, are you telling me that my **_**good friend**_** Hagrid would dare to attack **_**another**_** friend of ours, Hermione Granger?" she asked. Lockhart paled considerably the moment that Dorea spoke up. "Because if that's what you meant by that, I'm afraid I'll have to hex you into oblivion for suggesting such a vile idea."~**

All four Founders were just dying laughing, as was most of the Hall. Dorea knew just how to show him up without actually getting in trouble for the words that she used, seeing as how she cast Lockhart in the worst light possible there.

~**But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Dorea so much that she yearned to throw Gadding with Ghouls right in Lockhart's stupid face, especially since he had completely ignored Dorea's warning. As such, when his back was turned to the class, Dorea sent a nasty Boils Hex right to his rear, causing the class to try their hardest not to laugh while Lockhart attempted to cast the countercurse, not thinking once of punishing Dorea for following through on her threat.~**

While several of the adults scowled at the fact that Dorea had, in fact, cursed a professor, the rest of the Hall burst out laughing at how Dorea pretty much had Lockhart wrapped around her little finger.

~**Instead she contented herself with scrawling a note to Ron: **_**Let's do it tonight**_**.**

**Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.~**

Hermione brightened considerably, she knew how afraid of spiders Ron was, and for him to face that fear because of her just made her feel like she was on cloud nine, to have such loyal and dedicated friends... Though they did sometimes want to kill each other. But hey, they were practically family, weren't they?

~**The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because from six o'clock onward the Gryffindors had no - where else to go. They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the common room often didn't empty until past midnight.**

**Dorea went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of her trunk right after dinner, and spent the evening sitting on it, waiting for the room to clear. Fred and George challenged Dorea and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap, and Ginny sat watching them, very subdued in Hermione's usual chair. Dorea and Ron kept losing on purpose, trying to finish the games quickly,~**

Fred has a sudden look of understanding cross his face.

"So that's why you two were doing so badly, you were trying to get us to leave." he said, finally getting that one night. Normally Dorea would play exceedingly well; usually she would get the entire game finished before the cards blew up - for her there were usually the fireworks that the cards would blow up into if the person won the game.

~**but even so, it was well past midnight when Fred, George, and Ginny finally went to bed.**

**Dorea and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak, throwing it over themselves, and climbing through the portrait hole.**

**It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers.**

**At last they reached the entrance hall, slid back the lock on the oak front doors, squeezed between them, trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds.~**

Those who had been for midnight strolls on the grounds sighed in contentment, those walks were always so calming and pleasant, not too hot, not too cold, and the moonlight just added a mystical effect to it all.

~**"'Course," said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass, "We might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow. Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction, but..." His voice trailed away hopefully. Dorea rolled her eyes - she had gotten this far, she wasn't giving up now.~**

To this Ron only sighed.

"A guy can hope, can't he?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling and the heavens beyond it. Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at how output he appeared, though many tensed at the thought as to what could have possibly been in that forest named Aragog.

~**They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry-looking with its blank windows. When Dorea pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them. Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together.~**

Charlie nodded.

"It won't hurt him in the slightest, but it will keep him from barking up a storm, which would attract the attention of the professors." he commented, glad that they used a safe way to keep him quiet.

~**Dorea left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest.~**

Ron and Dorea exchanged horrified glances, thinking about how difficult it would be for them to find the cloak after what they went through that night. As such, it was a really, really good thing that Dorea left the Cloak in Hagrid's cabin that night.

**~"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Dorea, patting her leg, and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them, dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree.~**

Dora gained a sympathetic look.

"I hadn't had time to go down to the hut that day, so Fang had been forced to go all day without a bathroom break." she explained. Michaela's eyes widened and she teared up slightly, that poor thing! Being forced to go so long without being able to use the bathroom...

**~Dorea took out her wand, murmured, "Lumos!" and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders.**

**"Good thinking," said Ron. "I'd light mine, too, but you know - it'd probably blow up or something…"~**

Helga looked confused.

"What happened to his wand?" she asked out of concern. Ron shrugged.

"Nearly snapped it at the beginning of the school year, it wasn't working properly. If I had a practical test either Hermione or Dorea would let me borrow their wands." he explained. The Founders nodded, that was why they taught Wandless Magic as a course for Third Years and up in their time, reliance on such a weak item was deadly. Staffs were almost as dangerous to rely on - the spells took longer to cast with them and they drained more power, but were excellent to use against large armies where you need to do a lot of damage in a short amount of time to gain the upper hand.

~**Dorea tapped Ron on the shoulder, pointing at the grass. Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wand light into the shade of the trees.**

**"Okay," Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst, "I'm ready. Let's go."~**

"You weren't ready in the slightest." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Just from hearing what you said I can see that."

~**So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest. By the glow of Dorea's wand, they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves. Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and Dorea's wand shone alone in the sea of dark, they saw their spider guides leaving the path.~**

Eyes widened as people remembered Hagrid's warning from the previous book, "_**Stay on the path**_".

~**Dorea paused, trying to see where the spiders were going, but everything outside her little sphere of light was pitch-black. She had never been this deep into the forest before. She could vividly remember Hagrid advising her not to leave the forest path last time she'd been in here. But Hagrid was miles away now, probably sitting in a cell in Azkaban, and he had also said to follow the spiders.**

**Something wet touched Dorea's hand and she jumped backward, crushing Ron's foot, but it was only Fang's nose.~**

"Again, sorry about that." Dorea apologized for that a second time, Ron once again waving it off.

"You were jumpy, and I honestly don't blame you for it." he said. Cedric nodded at the two of them and continued reading, his right leg bouncing slightly from the nerves.

~**"What d'you reckon?" Dorea said to Ron, whose eyes she could just make out, reflecting the light from her wand.**

**"We've come this far," said Ron quietly, eying the darkness ahead.**

**So they followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Dorea could feel Fang's hot breath on her hand. More than once, they had to stop, so that Dorea could crouch down and find the spiders in the wand light.~**

"Once we were off the path it got a lot harder to follow them." Ron commented. "The path was so much lighter compared to the dirt that was untouched."

~**They walked for what seemed like at least half an hour, their robes snagging on low-slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.**

**Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making both Dorea and Ron jump out of their skins.**

**"What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping Dorea's elbow very hard.~**

"Aw, was the ickle Weasel scared?" Parkinson taunted. Dorea sent the girl an acid-like glare and stated,

"No shit he was scared, _dumbass_, he's terrified of spiders, we had no idea what was in those woods, and it was pitch black. No moonlight through _those_ treetops." Dorea snarled, turning back and with one look, got Cedric to continue reading.

~**"There's something moving over there," Dorea breathed. "Listen... Sounds like something big..."**

**They listened.**

**Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees.**

**"Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh -"**

**"Shut up," said Dorea frantically. "It'll hear you."**

**"Hear me?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"~**

"Ron, Fang goes into the forest wi' me all the time. They normally hear 'im." Hagrid said. Dumbledore looked at his friend curiously.

"What do you mean by _they_?" he asked. Hagrid shrugged.

"Everythin' tha' lives there." Hagrid explained. They would find out who he was talking about soon enough.

~**The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence.**

**"What d'you think it's doing?" said Dorea.**

**"Probably getting ready to pounce," said Ron.~**

Michaela turned to Dorea.

"Alright, now I want to see both your faces at this point in time in that forest." she said, a wicked grin on her face. Dorea laughed and looked up at Dumbledore, who was chuckling.

"Professor, do you know a way that we could show that?" she asked. Rowena perked up and grinned.

"I happen to know a spell." she said, and started to explain as to what it did. "The incantation is _Memoria Revelare_, and in order to cast it you must hold your wand up to your head, think of the memory, pull the image from your mind and flick it to a flat surface on which you want the memory shown." Dorea, understanding exactly what Rowena told her, held her wand up to her head, focused on that exact moment in her memory, and cast the spell.

"_ Memoria Revelare_!" she shouted, flicking her wand at the wall above Dumbledore's head. As the image cleared, everyone couldn't help but burst out laughing at the image. In the light of Dorea's _Lumos_, they could make out Ron's freaking out face, his mouth twisted in a terrified frown, his eyes narrow and on the brink of tears, and then next to him was Dorea, straight faced, calm, collected, and serious. The difference between the two was incredibly profound, and spoke volumes about how each reacted when terrified. For James and Godric, however, the sight of Dorea so calm when terrified almost scared them, that the girl had so much self control that she didn't show an ounce of fear - they could only imagine battling someone like that, and for Godric, who read his opponents when in a battle to judge how they would react to certain things so as the get the upper hand, felt terrified at the prospect of ever fighting Dorea Potter because of this self control.

As the image faded, Cedric turned back to the book, found where he left off, and continued reading.

~**They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.**

**"D'you think it's gone?" Dorea whispered.**

**"Dunno -"**

**Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that both of them flung up their hands to shield their eyes. Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.**

**"Dorea!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief "Dorea, it's our car!"~**

Arthur looked amazed.

"It was still alive?" he asked. Dorea and Ron shrugged.

"Probably still is." they said. The Founders all looked confused at the new terminology.

"Is a car anything like a carriage?" Helga muttered to Rowena, who shrugged her shoulders.

"My guess is as good as yours." she whispered back. She may be the wisest of the four, but she wasn't a genius that new everything!

~**"**_**What**_**?"**

**"Come on!"**

**Dorea blundered after Ron toward the light, stumbling and tripping, and a moment later they had emerged into a clearing.**

**Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.~**

Sirius let out a bark-like burst of laughter.

"Arthur, I love that car of yours!" he commented. Molly, on the other hand, scowled. People should stop encouraging her husband to do such things as... Whatever he did to that car!

~**"It's been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild..."**

**The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud.~**

"CAMOUFLAGE!" Dan suddenly shouted, causing everyone who knew what he was referring to, to burst into laughter.

~**Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own. Fang didn't seem at all keen on it; he kept close to Dorea, who could feel him quivering. Her breathing slowing down again, Dorea stuffed her wand back into her robes.~**

Dorea slammed her head against the table in front of her.

"Stupid." Slam. "Stupid." Slam. "This," Slam. "Is," Slam. "Why," Slam. "I," Slam. "Got," Slam. "The," Slam. "Wand," Slam. "Holsters." Slam, slam. Lifting her head again, Bill summoned some anti-bruising cream and rubbed it onto the girl's forehead, scowling slightly.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were a masochist." he muttered, then noticed how Dorea flushed bright red. He raised an eyebrow. "... You aren't one, are you?" Dorea avoided his gaze and held up her right hand, the thumb and index finger about a centimetre apart. Bill sighed and hugged the girl, well, now that he thought about it, her being a bit of a masochist made a lot of sense...

Though it was really, _really_ kinky at the same time.

~**"And we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!"**

**Dorea squinted around on the floodlit ground for signs of more spiders, but they had all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights.**

**"We've lost the trail," she said. "C'mon, let's go and find them."**

**Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind Dorea. His face was livid with terror.~**

Ron shuddered and turned to Michaela.

"Unless you want to have a panic attack, cover your ears. We'll tell you when it's safe." he said concerned for the girl from her reaction when a spider was merely mentioned. Let alone the description that would certainly follow up thanks to Dorea's mind and her way with words. Michaela paled considerably, and slowly lifted her hands to cover her ears. By the gods, what did they face in that forest?

~**Dorea didn't even have time to turn around. There was a loud clicking noise and suddenly she felt something long and hairy seize him around the middle and lift her off the ground, so that she was hanging facedown.~**

Dorea shuddered; she had felt so helpless, incapable of moving because of how she was being held... She had felt like a ragdoll...

~**Struggling, terrified, he heard more clicking, and saw Ron's legs leave the ground, too, heard Fang whimpering and howling – next moment, she was being swept away into the dark trees.**

**Head hanging, Dorea saw that what had hold of her was marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching her tightly below a pair of shining black pincers.~**

Galandriel and Elront let out terrified gasps, and were suddenly incredibly thankful for Ron's sudden burst of tact in warning their granddaughter to cover her ears, both knowing very well how Michaela reacted to the mention of Acromantula. It was at least a dozen times worse than her normal reaction to spiders, and that was bad enough as it was.

~**Behind her, she could hear another of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron. They were moving into the very heart of the forest. Dorea could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a third monster, whining loudly, but Dorea couldn't have yelled even if she had wanted to; she seemed to have left her voice back with the car in the clearing.~**

Hermione's eyes widened in fear - if Dorea was so scared she couldn't even speak, then this was bad. Very, very bad.

**~She never knew how long she was in the creature's clutches; she only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for her to see that the leaf-strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. Craning her neck sideways, she realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene she had ever laid eyes on.~**

Dorea shuddered violently at the sudden memory.

"Still in my top 5 worst scenes." she said. "Voldemort and the graveyard last June being number 5." She would never actually _tell_ anyone this, but the scene that was about to be described now was actually her top scene on that list of 5.

~**Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic.~**

Charlie took in a horror-filled breath.

"_Acromantula_..." he breathed, ice cold terror flooding through his veins. Man-eating spiders that were, at largest, twice the size of him. Very difficult to defeat, and in as large a colony as this was? Damn near impossible to escape alive.

But Ron and Dorea did it. They were in front of him, they were alive, and they were well... Well, as well as two traumatized teens could be at the revisiting of these memories.

~**The massive specimen that was carrying Dorea made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very centre of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.~**

Most of the Hall looked ill, and many first and second years were currently grabbing the nearest container that they could find so as to upchuck their lunches. Hagrid, on the other hand, looked downright terrified. He knew that sight. That was the sight of the colony expecting a new meal. But - Aragog would never consider his friends to be meals, would he...?

~**Dorea suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped her was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.**

**"Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"~**

Madam Bones looked extremely faint, how Dorea and Ron had gotten out of this alive shocked her - but then she remembered what Dorea had said when it was first commented on how they drove the flying car to Hogwarts, how it had saved their lives, and it hit her. The car rescued them. Thank Merlin for that...

~**And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was grey in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. Dorea couldn't help but feel horrible for him, for he was blind.~**

Many people sent Dorea incredulous looks, but none of them could understand Dorea's mindset on this - she was an animal lover herself, and when she saw that poor thing she had thought of the spell that Riddle had cast that day, and knew that Riddle was the reason the poor thing was blind.

~**"What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly.**

**"Men," clicked the spider who had caught Dorea.**

**"Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.**

**"Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.**

**"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping..."~**

Hagrid let out a startled gasp. Aragog had promised to never kill those he sent into the forest!

**"We're friends of Hagrid's!" Dorea shouted. Her heart seemed to have left her chest to pound in her throat.~**

Luna chuckled, Dorea's body had strange ways of reacting to fear, that was for sure.

~**Click, click, click went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow.**

**Aragog paused.**

**"Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," he said slowly. "He made me promise to never hurt those he might, but he never has..."**

**"Hagrid's in trouble," said Dorea, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come, because he couldn't."~**

Hagrid nodded quickly, that would certainly earn Dorea some points from Aragog.

~**"In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Dorea thought she heard concern beneath the clicking pincers.** **"But why has he sent you?"**

**Dorea thought of getting to her feet but decided against it; she didn't think her legs would support her.** **So she spoke from the ground, as calmly as she could.~**

"She sounded like she was having a conversation with a professor." Ron commented, shocking everyone. Dorea could control herself incredibly well, an excellent trait from her Slytherin side.

~**"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a - a - **_**something**_** on students. They've taken him away to Azkaban."**

**Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause, except applause didn't usually make Dorea feel sick with fear.~**

Dorea shuddered violently, the cheering and applause from the Death Eaters in the graveyard ringing in her ears... Their laughter, the utter joy as they listened to her tortured screams...

Bill, noticing the glazed look in Dorea's eyes, held her close and tucked her head up into the crook of his neck, knowing that as long as he held her gently, she would feel safe.

~**"But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."**

**"And you... You **_**didn't**_** come from the Chamber of Secrets?" said Dorea, who could feel cold sweat on her forehead. "You weren't the one that killed that girl?"~**

Many felt faint at simply the thought of this happening to them, and there Dorea had been, only feeling scared and sweating from it, at a mere age of 12. Merlin, she definitely belonged in Gryffindor.

~**"**_**I**_**!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "**_**I**_** was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and he is a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…" Dorea could understand what Aragog was talking about, to them, the fact that Hagrid was the reason that they could live was the greatest kindness that could ever be given.~**

Galandriel nodded, but it didn't make her feel any less dizzy.

~**Dorea summoned what remained of her courage.~**

Neville looked incredibly pale at this point.

"Merlin's beard, Dorea, if I were in your shoes I would've fainted by now." he muttered, fanning himself slightly so as to prevent himself from passing out just from reading this. He was terrified _for_ Dorea here!

~**"So you never - never attacked anyone?"**

**"Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human.~**

Many blinked in shock; they had no idea about that. It was completely against Aragog's nature to do that, as Acromantula ate humans as the main part of their diet.

~**The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet..."**

**"But then... Do you know what did kill that girl?" said Dorea. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again -"**

**Her words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around her.~**

Luna's mind began to run and what seemed to be a million miles per hour. Girl found in bathroom - Myrtle had been murdered in a bathroom - hadn't left - her eyes widened in shock. The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in a girls' bathroom!

~**"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."**

**"What is it?" said Dorea urgently. "Please, we need to know!"**

**More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in.~**

Ron gulped and shuddered, trying not to be sick once more at the memories being brought back to tthe surface of his mind.

~**"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he asked me, many times."~**

Hagrid sighed, if he had known the identity of the creature, would Myrtle still be alive today? Or would things not have changed in the slightest?

~**Dorea didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides. Aragog seemed to be tired of talking. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward Dorea, Fang, and Ron.~**

"That's really not good..." Elront muttered, wringing his hands in worry. Michaela sent her grandfather an odd look - since she couldn't hear what was happening, she had no idea why everyone looked so panicked.

~**"We'll just go, then," Dorea called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind her.**

**"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not ..."**

**"But - but - your promise -!"**

**"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid."~**

Hagrid looked horrified. Aragog had promised no harm would come of those he sent into that forest for him, and he had broken that promise! Bowing his head, Hagrid felt rage flow through his body. If the Aurors decided they would have to destroy Aragog's nest for the safety of the school, he wouldn't lead them to the nest, but he wouldn't stop them. Hagrid had promised their safety in return for the safety of anyone he sent to them, and his friend had broken his half of the promise when he allowed his sons and daughter to try and kill his friends. He could never forgive him.

~**Dorea spun around. Feet away, towering above her, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads. Even as she reached for her wand, Dorea knew it was no good, there were too many of them, but as she tried to stand, ready to die fighting to protect her friends,~**

Godric laughed and joined the Circle, having found Dorea's Gryffindor side. Yep, that definitely sounded like something that he would do as well. Never die on you back or knees, die standing and protecting those you love the most, _that_ was how a _true_ Gryffindor saw death.

~**a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.~**

Arthur let out a laugh of pure relief - it was his car! His car saved the day!

**~Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Dorea and Ron and the doors flew open.~**

Molly found that she could no longer hate her husband's obsession with muggle items after that bit was read, seeing as how whatever Arthur did to that car saved the lives of her son and the girl that she saw as good as her daughter. Just as long as he didn't bring another inanimate object to life, she had nothing to complain about.

~**"Get Fang!" Dorea yelled, diving into the front seat; Ron seized the boarhound around the middle and threw him, yelping, into the back of the car - the doors slammed shut - Ron didn't touch the accelerator but the car didn't need him to; the engine roared and they were off, hitting and running over more spiders.~**

Dorea and Ron sent each other slightly sick grins, the feeling of those spiders underneath the car and hearing as they were sent flying over the roof had certainly been satisfying, indeed.

~**They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.~**

"I think I like that car." Lily muttered faintly, letting go of the iron-like grip on her thigh, wincing as she saw that her fingernails had cut deep into her flesh with the force she had been using to keep herself from screaming at what her daughter had faced. How Dorea was still sane after everything she had done so far was far, far beyond her.

~**Dorea looked sideways at Ron. His mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore.**

**"Are you okay?"**

**Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.~**

"You must have been in shock, having gone through that when your worst fear is spiders must have been the worst thing in your life." Madam Pomfrey said. "If he didn't calm down when you exited the forest, you should have come to see me right away." Dorea raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"In the middle of the night. When we weren't supposed to be out of bed. Yes, and allow ourselves to be ostracized like we were the year before." Dorea commented as Michaela, upon Charlie's encouragement, lowered her hands, looked up at Charlie with an extremely pale face as he described to her the basics as to what had happened. She couldn't help but feel extremely light headed as Madam Pomfrey flushed in embarrassment at Dorea's excellent point.

The Founders, on the other hand, looked at each other with great worry. Why had Dorea been ostracized? For being out of bed late at night? What sort of logic did this school currently teach if that was why people were bulied? They would certainly have to have a discussion with Dumbledore to catch up on what they had all clearly missed, which was apparently quite a lot.

~**They smashed their way through the undergrowth, Fang howling loudly in the back seat, and Dorea saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Dorea could again see patches of sky.**

**The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown into the windshield. They had reached the edge of the forest.~**

"Thank Merlin for that car." Remus whispered, releasing the cushion he was sitting on from his grip. Until he knew that Dorea was safely out of the reach of those Acromantulas, he had refused to let his grip loosen or be lost on that poor cushion. There were now ten slits in the leather from where his nails had cut through the material.

~**Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Dorea opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs.~**

"I really don't blame him for that..." Colin muttered. He loved Fang, he was such a sweetheart.

**~ Dorea got out too, and after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff-necked and staring. Dorea gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.~**

"I really like that car..." Lily muttered again, healing her leg from the cuts she had left earlier.

~**Dorea went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the Invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket. Dorea cuddled with the poor thing for a bit until he fell asleep, then quietly left.**

**When Dorea got outside again, she found Ron being violently sick in the pumpkin patch.~**

Madam Pomfrey nodded, that would be from the shock and the anxiety he would have been feeling.

~**"**_**Follow the spiders**_**," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive."**

**"I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Dorea. "I mean, Aragog **_**did**_** promise not to hurt anyone Hagrid sent to him."~**

"Tha's the reason they live there, their safety in exchange for the safety o' anyone I send to 'em." Hagrid said sadly, knowing full well the consequences that would happen because his friend broke his promise.

Death.

~**"That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!"~**

"But he's also not entirely human, so dangerous animals towards you guys aren't nearly as dangerous towards him." Dan pointed out. "He's half giant, meaning tougher skin, thicker bones, harder muscle - perfect for breeding dangerous animals."

~**He was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know!"**

**"That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Dorea, throwing the cloak over Ron and prodding him in the arm to make him walk. "He was innocent, and probably framed."**

**Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent.~**

Michaela let out a full-bellied round of laughter, seeing as how she thought the exact same as Ron on that topic. Not innocent in the slightest for doing that.

~**As the castle loomed nearer, Dorea twitched the cloak to make sure their feet were hidden, then pushed the creaking front doors ajar. They walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase, holding their breath as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last they reached the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash.~**

"How long were you in that forest for?" Bill asked, having final un-frozen himself from the shock of hearing what Dorea had just gone through. Dorea and Ron looked at each other and shrugged.

"One, two hours, tops." Dorea commented. "Can't say, really, felt like we were in that nest for an eternity." Oh yes, because that comment made Bill feel all the better.

**~They took off the cloak and climbed the winding stair to their select dormitories. Dorea knew that Ron would fall onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. Dorea, however, didn't feel very sleepy. She sat on the edge of her four-poster, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said.~**

All the adults nodded in approval - while most people would sleep on information like the kind that Aragog had given Dorea, sometimes it was best to figure it out before you fell asleep.

~**The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, she thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort - even other monsters didn't want to name it.~**

Everyone, even the Founders who had no clue as to who Voldemort was, laughed at that statement. Dorea did, of course, have an interesting was of seeing things.

~**But she and Ron were no closer to finding out what it was, or how it Petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets.**

**Dorea swung her legs up onto her bed and leaned back against her pillows, watching the moon glinting at her through the tower window.~**

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, both of whom had dorms were in towers, both smiled. They all loved the views that they got from their dorm windows, looking out at the grounds under the twinkling light of the stars and the pale light of the moon was so calming.

~**She couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere. Riddle had caught the wrong person, the Heir of Slytherin had got off, and no one could tell whether it was the same person, or a different one, who had opened the Chamber this time.~**

"It was the same person." Dorea stated. "Same bastard, both times."

~**There was nobody else to ask. Dorea lay down, still thinking about what Aragog had said.**

**She was becoming drowsy when seemed like their very last hope occurred to her, and she suddenly sat bolt upright.~**

Ron sighed.

"And now she'll dart across the Common Room, into my dorms, shake me awake, and tell me what she's figured out." he said. "Like I said last book, I hate it when she has those sudden realizations."

~**Shooting out of bed, Dorea slid down the staircase handrail, since it was faster than walking down the stairs, as well as quieter, slipped across the silent Common Room, ran up the stairs to the boys dorms as quietly as she could, slid into Ron's dorms, and tiptoed over to her bed, slowly shaking him awake.**

**"Ron," she hissed through the darkness, "Ron -"**

**Ron woke with a yelp like Fang's, stared wildly around, and saw Dorea.~**

Neville looked confused.

"_That's_ what that yelp was about? I thought he had just had a weird dream again." he said. That had been, after all, the only reason that he had not only ignored what had been going on when Ron had woke him up with that yelp, but gone straight back to sleep.

~**"Ron -that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Dorea, ignoring Neville's snuffing snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's **_**still there**_**?"~**

Jaws dropped. No way. She hadn't...

~**Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too."You don't think - not **_**Moaning Myrtle**_**?"~**

Myrtle shrugged.

"Again, I haunt my bathroom to keep anyone from being killed the way that I was." she said. Salazar gained a very sad look in his eyes, so Bessy had killed one of his students... The poor girl...

Cedric marked the page and closed the book as food appeared on the tables in front of everyone. Blinking, people looked up the time to see that it was already 5 - they had spent so many hours on that one chapter. Looking around, Dumbledore stood up.

"I think we should put this into a vote - shall we finish this book today, or read one more chapter and be done for the day?" he asked. "All those who vote that we finish the book today, please raise your hand." Dorea, the Dursleys, Umbridge, Lucius, and Fudge were the only ones who did not raise their hand. Even the Founders had decided that they wanted to know everything that had happened at the end of this book, and therefore the end of Dorea's second year, today.

Looking around, Cedric noticed that Rowena Ravenclaw was looking at the book with sparkling eyes as she politely ate her meal, and levitated the book over to her. Excited, the brunette plucked up the book, finished her delicious meal, and opened to the next chapter. Deciding to let the rest of the Hall finish their own meals first, she anxiously read the first page of the chapter, wanting desperately to know what had happened to Dorea now. As the meals were finished and the last of the plates vanished, she cleared her throat and began to read.

**~O~O~O~O~O~**

**Review Replies:**

**Ashwood's Flame: I responded! :D Sorry, I usually respond to the longer reviews because they bring up excellent points and questions that I hope are being asked, since it means that they're thinking about what they're reading. As for that - more Narcissa's (that's how you spell her name, btw :]) struggle than Draco's, and it's also about how Draco is being forced to try and kill Dumbledore or his family will die.**

**NaomiTheWingedSerpent: I plan on making Rowena absolutely adore Luna for her open mindedness, which will really show the Ravenclaws that bullied her as to what being a part of their House really means. To be wise means to accept the things around you and to learn from them, which Luna and Dorea do exceedingly well, and as such, will be loved by Rowena for that. As for Hermione - well, her closed-mindedness will keep her from gaining favour from the Founder. Rowena will appreciate her love of knowledge, but honestly, you can't learn everything by following all the rules all the time, sometimes you need to kick down the rules of society to be capable of learning not just what the world is really like, but what kind of person you truly are. Ah ah ah, but you forget, I never described what Naomi was wearing at the ball. For all you know, she was still wearing her hoodie. Naomi is definitely the kind of person that I can see wearing an elegant ball gown with a hoodie overtop of it. She was sent to an orphanage when she was an small child because of her father being a Necromancer, and the threat that the Death Eaters were imposing on him and his child to bring Voldemort back to life. As for her mother - she's a bit like Dobby is, an oddity in that she broke the rules of siren society and not only fell in love with a human, but had a child with one as well. As for the orphanage - Dumbledore has no idea that she lives there. Now, on the topic of Mr. Dupont, I'm glad that you picked up on the hints, but I'm not going to give anything that could be attributed to a spoiler on that subject. Hem, hem, who was the one that had given the diary to Ginny again? What would benefit from the muggle parents thinking that their children were attacked and no one saw fit to inform them on the fact? *pointing rather obviously at Lucius* Ah, yes, for the Dorea and Bill action, I promise there will be more coming up, in this chapter Bill was more frozen in shock - first from the whole "Mum and Dad" thing, the from hearing about that Acromantula. So there will probably be some extra fluff in the next few chapters to make up for it. And I hope you enjoyed this update as well!**

**cross-over-lover232: *faceplants* GODDAMMIT! I was thinking about Charlie being Michaela's boyfriend there, and was typing that Michaela was Charlie's girlfriend, and the two sorta collided... I really need to reread my chapters a few times before I post, seeing as how this is all unBetaed since Sierra stopped Betaing for me... Around the 17th chapter, I believe...**

** 1: Thanks! As for the ideas: First off, that's three, not two. Second off, Harry was sorta... Added in on a whim, and in his timeline it's already been a year since he defeated Voldemort for good, so both 1 and 3 are kinda moot points were , but the second one I am definitely adding into the third book :D I really can't wait to write that scene!**

**Crystal12345: Thanks for the pity - the only good thing about them was that my French Oral exam only lasted 10, 15 minutes tops and started at 11:35 whereas the rest of the exams start at 8:20ish (well, you have to be in the classroom by then...), and for Careers we were just finishing up ISU presentations, so I really only had to sit and write two exams on the actual exam days. That in itself made my friends green with envy and myself a very happy person. I'm getting the report cards soon, though I think I did well in my classes... I love reading the Harry/Bill stories that are on this sight, and the alternate-dimension Harry was quite honestly a last minute add-in. *blushing at the compliments* I'm not **_**that**_** great of a writer, just average... Writing is my passion, I just love to do it, and when I get to writing the chapter the words just flow without me even having to think about what I'm writing...**

** .98: Well, girls do thing a whole lot differently than boys, so I sorta half to change some of the parts to make it fit the mindset of a teenage girl more. I loved the Twins too, especially the prospect of them being protective over the people that they love, and as such will have them as Dorea's overprotective brothers until the day that Fred dies. As for Fred's death - I bawled my eyes out in horror at that scene in the book, his death hit me as hard as Dobby's did, and don't even get me started on how hard I cried when they died in the movies. Quite honestly I couldn't stand Molly's character in the books, she was supposed to be the kind, loving mother, but she allowed her daughter to constantly ridicule her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, she stood off to the side and ignored the signs of abuse and neglect that Harry was showing, she couldn't even tell the Twins apart and then stomped all over their dreams like a bitch, and I'm quite honestly surprised that more people don't hate her for what she's done. That's what I try to do, I try to make the shock and the sadness , the anger, the fear, and the happiness as realistic as I can imagine it to be, and I usually base it off the interactions that I see in my day-to-day life. For example, the majority of Lily's reactions are the reactions that I know my mom would have. Dan's reactions are the ones that I know the real Dan would have, Dorea and Michaela's reactions are similar to my own, and the ones for Charlie and Bill I based off their characters and what I wish my future boy/girlfriend would react like upon this or that happening to me. Rambling is good, it's welcome here, it means you're thinking about what I'm writing and not being a sheep in just saying that it's either good or bad. That's why I usually don't respond to the short reviews, because I want reviews that make me think about as to how I feel on such and such topic or what I plan on doing in this part of the book instead. As such, the longer the review, the better, in my opinion!**

**bloomnskyrules: Ah, yeah, no fluff in this chapter either, and very little Lily or James interactions, but that's because I'm attempting to integrate the Founders into my story now as well. And you're right on aspect that Dorea wouldn't stay calm in Molly criticizing Lily, and she won't stay quiet in the fifth book, either. I mean, come on, Sirius has more of a right of say in Dorea's life decision than Molly will ever have, being her godfather and all! I don't think any of those make you a bad person - after all, if a man decided to practically try and kill your child all the while making them his slave, wouldn't you want to beat the living shit out of that man? I know I would, and any good father would want to as well. As for Draco changing... It'll be a very slow change, probably happening over the span of a few years. And I'll try to update as soon as possible, seeing as how I have absolutely nothing else to do this summer. Well, besides cleaning my room, but that's another topic entirely.**

**griffindork93: Ah, and my longest reviewer is back! 8D Ah, no, who Michaela tried to feed to a dragon will come up in the sixth book, along with the reason for Michaela's cutting problem. Now, for Remus: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! *looks around conspiringly* No giving away my hand of cards! The most plot twists will happen in the sixth book, so be patient and just listen to the clues for now! Well, she'll probably come in handy during the whole clue for the second task fiasco, and she'll join Susan in being a helpful ear during the Ron VS Hermione fight in the third book, sooo yeah, she'll definitely be more useful than in canon. Well, I catch the small things that most people wouldn't think about going more into, but with the presence of the parents of one of the victims, I would think someone would pick up on the fact that the parent sent their children back the next year after they were attacked, no problems and no questions asked. That is total bull, if that were my child I would pull him or her from the school and find magical tutors for them so that way they can learn magic from the safety of my home, where I know what they're doing and why they're doing it when it comes to magic. Snape completely disgusted me, I respected what he did when Voldemort targeted Lily's family and all, but he only asked for Dumbledore to save Lily, not her son who meant the world to her, just her. And then he got angry at Dumbledore because Lily sacrificed herself to save her son, I mean, what kind of mother would just be like "Oh, I'll live if you kill my baby? Sure, why not take up the offer!" I mean, COME ON, there are normal mothers who can summon the strength and the adrenaline to lift cars off their children, it's not like a good mother would just stand to the side and let their child be killed, oh no, they would try to kill the bastard threatening their child and would happily die in the process of protecting their baby! Ancient Studies was never really covered in canon, but I think it's pretty much the learning of magic used in more ancient times, like wardings and the Runes used, probably the difference between a staff and a wand and why the wand became more popular, that kind of stuff. And I'm willing to bet that Neville helped Dorea learn the basics of her position on the magical world as the last Potter, seeing as how he's an ally to the Potter family and how she will be living in this world for the rest of her life. And who ever said that Hermione would be the only one with a Time Turner in the Third Year - or Fourth, or Fifth, for that matter? *shifty eyes* Hermione just wasn't good about being sneaky on it, I think that if Dorea and Neville plan on how they would do everything for their schedule together, they could work out how to use the Time Turner without anyone getting suspicious of it, even Hermione. And yes, after hearing a true prophecy being made and watching it come true, Dorea finds that she does like Divination once she takes it seriously and actually gets the real results. With that being said, that's why I think Lavender and Parvati love the class so much, seeing as how they did all the actual work from day one, rather than slacking off like Ron and the rest of their year did. Aaaaaaaaaaah, the wonders that is BVB... Fudge didn't know of it, but if he did then he wouldn't stop it, seeing as how those letters would make the parents ask questions that he wasn't prepared t answer as of yet. And yes, Moody is incredibly intelligent, and yeah, I kinda think so. Moody would have definitely been an excellent choice on who to let into the circle of who knows about the Horcruxes, seeing as how he knows how to think like a Dark Wizard just like Dorea and Dumbledore do, and I plan to have had him in on the info before he was killed, which would be why he had all that Polyjuice Potion at the Burrow, he was getting his supplies together to prepare for the Horcrux Hunt. I read that as another motto in a different story, where Ron, Ginny, and Molly were cast from the Weasley family for being disloyal to Harry and stealing from him, and I thought it suited the family so well that I would change it a little and make it my own. As for animagi, I was planning on having Sirius being an actual Grim animagus rather than just a big dog, and then him going into all the superstitions surrounding the Grim and proving them wrong. As for Dorea feeling that she's the Master of Death - quite honestly, it was her destiny from the moment she was born. You remember the saying, that Death sent the Potters to remind people why not to mess with him? Well, that is why. And you hit it spot on in that. I'm thinking that once she retires from the job she has at the age where Lily, James and Albus are at when they visit the Hall and everyone in it she might be. And yes, more dead people! *does happy dance* Alright, happy dance over. Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Six Shoutouts: Thanks, they were a lot easier than I expected them to be - the hardest being Math, quite honestly, but that would be because I honestly forgot half the stuff that we learned at the beginning of the semester XD Honestly, I don't like how Harry only really had Ron and Hermione as his good friends in canon, and how Luna was his only friend from outside of Gryffindor. Honestly, he should have thought more about what being a Hufflepuff means that base who he would want as friends from that House because of that. And I hate how people always underestimate Narcissa, I believe that while the Blacks are a Black family, they are more Grey in their thought process on who to side with - that being the winning side. Walburga and Orion Black supported Voldemort because he encouraged Pureblood beliefs and appeared to be winning, and even if Sirius wasn't a Slytherin himself, he grew up in a House of Slytherins and would know how to appreciate those traits, even if he hated his family because they were "Dark". As such, Narcissa is the perfect Slytherin - never gets directly involved, stays on the sidelines, and values family above all else. At least, that's my headcanon of her. And don't worry, I never plan on giving this story up, if I hit a case of writer's block I'll do what I did for chapter 36 and ask for help rather than leaving my readers abandoned for a long period of time.**

**KhaalidaNyx: Wish I had a job... Save the money that I didn't spend in Chicago (which I still need to get exchanged for Canadian =-='), I'm broke. My sister is a lifeguard/swimming instructor, so tell Aida that the chlorine is going to kill her hair and force it to stay short. Heh, really want Molly and Arthur to get divorced that badly? It'll probably happen in the sixth book - WHY IS IT THAT I PLAN FOR EVERYTHING TO HAPPEN IN THE SIXTH BOOK?! XD I think it's because that's the book where the least amount of stuff happens over the school year for Dorea, so I need a bunch of drama to equal things out.**

**IShipElectricChairs: *gomps you*Ooooooooooooh, you're at a beeeaach, when Abi said you were a lifeguard I assumed at a pooooool. Good thing you're not, seeing as how the chlorine at a pool would kill your hair. I would know, my sister is a lifeguard. *slooowly backs away* ... Alright then. And I apologize for the lack of fluff, I'll try to add more into the next few chapters to even it all out. ... ... ... Juju...? *is confused* Heeey, I updated within 2 weeks! And no pitchforks and torches!**

**Lethe the Dragon: *nods* Totally understandable, happens to me all the time. *blushes* I'm not that amazing... But still, HETALIA~! THE ANIME WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD IS GAY AND EVERYONE LOVES IT! *sighs* Yeah, I USED to have a Beta, but then Sierra just quit around the 17th chapter for no apparent reason, and I'm on my own since then... So yeah... *beams* Can't I just send you the stuff over fanfiction if you're my Beta? I think that there's a part specifically for that, actually... So yeah, if you want to be my Beta that would be absolutely amazing! :D *pouts* Imagine I change the story for my own puposes. *winces* I was basing it off the Red Pyramid, a book written by the same guy who wrote the Percy Jackson series, and he usually gets all his info correct, so either I misunderstood it or it was incorrect on that aspect. I don't take it as an insult, seeing as how I did... Little to no research on the fact. I have a few (alright, a LOT) of HP stories planned, and the majority of them are femHarry/Bill or femHarry/Charlie, so yeah, don't worry about that request, seeing as how I already have a bunch of them planned out.**

** .Uchiha: *nods* Totally understand, I've read several other Reads the Books stories and the same thing happens to me almost every time - it really depends on how far along in the books the author is when you start reading their stories, really. *beams* Dorea is my headcanon for the femHarry selection, more Slytherin-like, intelligent, and open minded than Harry is in canon, but very much similar to him in most ways as well. Really I based most of her study habits off my own, and seeing as how I'm in the Honour Roll at my school, I decided to go out on a limb and make Dorea part of the top 3 students at her school - not first, that's Hermione, and second would be pushing it, so third place it is for Dorea! I love Bill, Charlie, and the Twins, though I actually don't like most of the rest of the Weasly family... Depends on how they're being described, seeing as how honestly don't see Arthur as the kind of man that can really be bashed all that well, you know? He's too awesome like that. I'm trying to base my story and characters off real life as much as possible, and in real life there are so many same-sex couples, especially being advertised recently with the whole same-sex marriages being legal in several of the States now, so why not make some gay and lesbian couples, throw in some bi people (I'm honestly thinking about making Dorea pansexual, same with Luna and Neville while I'm at it), so yeah, there will be quite a few scenes of pure homosexual fluff in this story! :D Haters can go and suck their misguided beliefs - if they were Jewish I would understand the homophobia more, but most homophobes are Christian, and that doesn't make sense, as the section of the bible that they quote also bans a lot of stuff that Christians do - like eating shellfish, eating bacon, cutting their hair, getting tattoos, oh, and women wearing clothing that isn't 100% one type of fabric. Sooo, yeah, they're already in the wrong and are going to Hell, so why judge those who are just trying to love? Oh, and for judging others, they're going to Hell even more.**

**~O~O~O~**

**Word Count: 17,459**

**Review Count: 1,970**

**Seriously?! I love you all, sooo much! We're almost at 2000 reviews, guys, and it hasn't even been a year since I started this story! Quite honestly, if it weren't for my readers, I probably would have given up on life last year when I was depressed... And now, all of you are just bringing my self confidence up from rock bottom! Thank you guys soooo much! :'D**

**Review Goal: 2,100**

**It is worth noting that I am getting to this at 2 am, and will probably be updating at around 3 am. All of you should be glad that I put you all before sleep.**

**V  
V  
V  
V  
V**

**So please leave a review, guys! Tell me what you think - and if I should start working on a novel that I've been planning for over 4 years now!**


End file.
